The judge presiding over the case in which Donald Trump was charged, in the US state of Georgia, with conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, dismissed six of the 41 charges filed in August 2023 – including three against Trump -. While keeping the basis of the indictment intact.
There are six allegations that Trump and five other defendants attempted to pressure Georgia political and election officials, all from the Republican Party, to violate the oath of allegiance to the Constitution and subvert the electoral process.
According to Judge Scott McAfee, the prosecution presented “ample evidence” that the former US president and the five other people involved – namely… Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Attorneys Rudolph Giuliani, John Eastman, Bob Cheley, and Ray Smith attempted to pressure various political and election officials, but failed to determine which part of the oath was violated, and in which constitutions (federal, U.S., or state of Georgia).
“As written, these six indictments contain all the essential elements of the crimes, but they do not provide sufficient detail about the nature of those crimes, i.e. the underlying crime sought.” The judge is considered. As a result of this failure, “the defendants did not obtain sufficient information to prepare their defense, as they may have violated the constitutions and laws of dozens, or even hundreds, in different ways.”
In Trump's case in particular, the former US president saw three of the 13 initial charges dropped. Despite the decision announced Wednesday, Judge McAfee gave prosecutors in charge of the case the option of refiling the six dismissed charges.
The criminal case taking place in Georgia is one of four in which Trump is charged, the second based on an accusation of trying to subvert the results of the 2020 election. Due to the high number of defendants – 15 after four after the first 19 cases entered into plea deals with prosecutors – and due to problems in scheduling the cases Of the other three, the case in Georgia should be the last to go to trial, perhaps in 2025.
In addition to the lawsuit in Georgia, Trump accused, In Washington, D.C., and attempting to sabotage the 2020 elections, in a federal operation; In Florida, because confidential documents were withheld from the White House; And in New York on charges of commercial fraud in the accounts of his company, the Trump Organization.
In two other civil cases, the former US president was ordered to pay $83 million (76 million euros) to former columnist E. Jean Carroll, for sexual assault and defamation, and $354 million (€324 million) to the state of New Jersey. York, accused of repeated fraud in the valuation of its assets with banks and insurance companies.
