Atlanta DA Gains Momentum in Racketeering Case Against Trump and Allies
ATLANTA — Fani Willis, the district attorney of Fulton County, Georgia, faced skepticism when she brought a racketeering case against former President Donald Trump and 18 individuals. Critics felt the case was too broad and complex for jurors to follow. However, in the past week, Willis has proven the power of Georgia’s racketeering statute. The momentum began with a guilty plea from Sidney Powell, followed by guilty pleas from Kenneth Chesebro and Jenna Ellis. While Powell pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges, Chesebro and Ellis accepted felony charges in their plea agreements.
Scott Hall, a Georgia bail bondsman, had previously pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges last month. With Trump and 14 others still awaiting trial, the focus now shifts to who else may cooperate and when. The successes of Willis and her team highlight the legal trouble the Georgia case poses for Trump. Willis has effectively used the state’s racketeering law to pressure lower-level defendants into taking plea deals, thus putting pressure on higher-ranking defendants.
Willis’ strategy is not unique; it is common in large-scale racketeering and conspiracy prosecutions. Kay L. Levine, a law professor at Emory University, explains that offering plea deals to smaller defendants in order to obtain cooperation is a typical approach. Willis utilized this strategy a decade ago in a high-profile racketeering case against Atlanta public school educators. More than 20 of the indicted individuals accepted plea deals in that case.
Willis has also employed a similar tactic in a racketeering case involving rapper Young Thug and 27 other individuals charged with gang activity. In both cases, plea deals have been used to secure cooperation and avoid lengthy trials or imprisonment. However, the outcome of the Young Thug case is still uncertain.
The election case brings to light the ways prosecutors allege that Trump and his co-defendants attempted to overturn his loss to Joe Biden in Georgia. The recent plea deals provide the prosecution with access to witnesses involved in Trump’s legal and public relations strategies. The deals may also harm other major defendants, including Rudy Giuliani and John Eastman, who face charges related to their involvement in Trump’s efforts.
Steve Sadow, Trump’s lead lawyer in the Georgia case, downplayed the significance of the recent plea deal, calling it a bargaining chip for Willis. Convicting Trump, a polarizing figure and potential 2024 presidential candidate, is a much more difficult task than securing plea deals. Experts believe it may be challenging to find jurors willing to convict anyone, let alone Trump. Willis will need a unanimous jury verdict for a conviction.
Willis’ wide-ranging indictment strategy, targeting not only Trump but also his allies, differs from the approach of Jack Smith, the special prosecutor handling federal charges against Trump. While the Georgia case is more unwieldy due to the number of defendants, the recent plea deals demonstrate the effectiveness of indicting multiple individuals to incentivize cooperation. Core defendants such as Trump and Giuliani may face less favorable plea deal offers, while others may consider cooperating to secure better outcomes.
