Former President Donald Trump said in two social media posts Saturday that the four criminal indictments against him are "election interference" and sending the nation into "dangerous territory."
"Why should Crooked Joe Biden be able to force me into the time and expense of trials, especially before the Election, on bogus claims pushed by his chief political supporter, The Department of Injustice,'" Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform Saturday. "What a horrible precedent this sets for future Presidential campaigns. It is all about Election Interference, and MUST BE STOPPED!"
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis announced an indictment in Georgia against Trump and 18 of his associates and lawyers Monday night, charging them under the state's RICO (Racketeer Influenced Corruption Organization) law, usually used against organized crime, for allegedly trying to overturn the 2020 election results in that state.
It is the fourth criminal indictment the former president is facing, including a state case in New York City brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg for allegedly falsifying business records regarding a 2016 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels to keep her quiet about an alleged affair the pair had years earlier and two federal cases brought by special counsel Jack Smith.
Smith's case in Florida concerns Trump's mishandling of classified documents at his Florida Mar-a-Lago estate after leaving the White House in 2021. The Washington, D.C., case stems from the former president's actions related to Jan. 6, 2021 and resulting in the riot at the U.S. Capitol when some of the protesters violently clashed with law enforcement as a joint session of Congress made the official tally of the 2020 Electoral College votes.
"Just think of it! They (Crooked Joe Biden and his Thugs!) Indict me, and their whole campaign is that ‘Trump is Indicted.’ Does that sound fair to anyone?" he said in another post to his account. “Am I allowed to do such a horrible and unconstitutional thing if, and when, I win the Presidency? We are entering really dangerous territory!!!"
Smith, Bragg, and Willis have said they plan on holding trials in their respective cases during 2024, which is an election year, and Trump is currently the GOP front-runner for the party's nomination.
CNBC reported that Willis wants to start the Georgia case on March 4, the day before Super Tuesday, when primary voters go to the polls in 14 states.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.