Former United States President Donald Trump could potentially face criminal charges for his involvement in the interference of Georgia's elections, based on a new analysis.
The Brookings Institution, a leading think tank in Washington, D.C., was responsible for conducting the assessment. It discovered evidence that suggests Trump and his allies attempted to overturn his election loss in Georgia by pressuring officials to "change the lawful outcome of the election."
Trump Could Face Criminal Charges
One of the most crucial pieces of evidence that the agency found was a call that the Republican businessman made to Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on Jan. 3. The discussion between the two officials was found to include a request by Trump to "find 11,780 votes" to get him a lead against the opposition, Joe Biden.
Throughout the call, Trump was reportedly heard saying multiple times that there was no possible way he lost in election counts in Georgia. The Republican claimed that he won against Biden by hundreds of thousands of votes, Business Insider reported. The former president's allegations were found to be false as Biden won by roughly 12,000 votes.
The analysis also found that Trump publicly pressured and personally contacted several Republican Georgia officials to demand their support in his overturning of the election. The list of individuals includes Gov. Brain Kemp and Attorney General Chris Carr. Trump allegedly called them directly to get their support in his "increasingly desperate plans to decertify his loss."
Brookings Institution concluded that Trump's post-election conduct in Georgia left himself vulnerable to potential state charges predicated on multiple crimes. "These charges potentially include criminal solicitation to commit election fraud; intentional interference with performance of election duties; conspiracy to commit election fraud; criminal solicitation; and state RICO violations," the report said.
The agency compiled its report based on publicly available reporting and evidence and legal analysts reviewed leaked audio of the Trump and Raffensperger audio, Newsweek reported. The incident comes as Trump visited Georgia on Saturday to rally supporters.
Attempt to Overturn Georgia Election Results
The decision of whether or not Trump will be charged for his actions related to the Georgia elections will have to wait until Fulton County district attorney Fani Willis decides. The official will be looking at all available evidence and will consider the presumption of innocence to which all American citizens are entitled.
Based on the report, Trump could be charged under Georgia's Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act Stature. While the term may inhibit thoughts of Mafia bosses, the legislation is much broader. If Trump committed the criminal acts through an enterprise, he will be eligible to receive a RICO charge.
All of the allegations against Trump share one similarity, that he repeatedly used misinformation and intimating statements to urge officials to change the outcome of the Georgia election. The businessman's efforts continued even after Republican elected officials certified Biden's win in the state.
Despite Trump failing to overturn the election results, he is still eligible to receive criminal charges for attempting to do so, The Washington Post reported.
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