Donald Trump election probe: Georgia court website briefly publishes, removes document about potential charges

The official website of Fulton County, Georgia's court briefly displayed a document on Monday that outlined a series of criminal charges against former US President Donald Trump. These charges seemed to be connected to his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election in the state. However, the document was taken down from the website without any explanation, Reuters reported.

The listed charges in the document encompassed racketeering, a law often used against individuals involved in illicit organisations, as well as allegations of making false statements, submitting false documents, and several conspiracy charges.

Trump's legal team asserted that this incident was "not a simple administrative mistake." Lawyers Drew Findling, Jennifer Little and Marissa Goldberg stated, "This is emblematic of the pervasive and glaring constitutional violations which have plagued this case from its very inception."

The office of Fulton County District Attorney clarified in a statement that no charges had been officially filed against Trump. The document, dated August 14, identified Trump as the subject of an "open" case, but it has since been removed from the court's website. The reason behind its initial posting and subsequent removal remains unclear. A spokesperson from the District Attorney's office stated, “The Reuters report that those charges were filed is inaccurate. Beyond that, we cannot comment.”

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The Fulton County court clerk's office released a statement indicating that no documents had been submitted on Monday concerning the ongoing grand jury proceedings related to the case. The office referred to a "fictitious document that has been circulated online," although it did not specifically confirm whether it referred to the document containing criminal charges against Trump. The clerk's spokesperson did not provide additional details upon request.

Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis has been investigating whether Trump and his supporters engaged in illegal activities to reverse the outcome of the state's 2020 election. It is expected that she will seek an indictment from a grand jury this week.

Also read: Donald Trump Election Probe: Georgia prosecutor likely to seek indictment next week

Trump, who is the leading contender for the 2024 Republican nomination to challenge President Joe Biden, has already faced three criminal indictments this year, including one by US Special Counsel Jack Smith for his attempts to overturn the election. Trump has consistently dismissed the various investigations and legal actions against him, including multiple impeachment proceedings, as politically motivated "witch hunts."

If charges are indeed brought against Trump in Georgia, it would mark his fourth indictment within a span of less than five months. It would also be the second indictment arising from his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

(With inputs from Reuters)