FULTON COUNTY, Ga. – An attorney for former President Donald Trump turned himself in to authorities on Wednesday morning after he was indicted alongside his client and 17 others for efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia, according to court records and WSB-TV.
Ray Smith faces 12 charges, including violation of Georgia’s RICO Act and conspiracy to commit filing false documents, jail records show. His bond has been set at $100,000, according to WSB.
Smith, an Atlanta-based attorney, represented Trump in lawsuits challenging the 2020 election results in Georgia, WSB reported. He previously testified before a state legislative subcommittee that investigated election fraud allegations, claiming that more than 130,000 illegal votes had been cast during the 2020 presidential election despite multiple investigations that found no evidence to back up the claims, the news station reported. According to The Associated Press, he also gathered witnesses to provide testimony at the hearings.
What is Georgia’s RICO law and how does it apply to Donald Trump’s case?
Smith was the fifth person to turn himself in after a grand jury last week handed down an indictment accusing 19 people of trying to overturn Georgia’s 2020 presidential election results.
Cathy Latham, a former chairwoman of the Republican Party in Coffee County, surrendered to face charges on Wednesday morning, as did former Georgia GOP chairman David Shafer. One day earlier, former Trump attorney John Eastman and Atlanta-area bail bondsman Scott Hall turned themselves in for booking and processing.
Here are the charges Trump and 18 co-defendants are facing in Georgia
Several other people also face charges in connection with the investigation, including former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark and former Trump attorneys Rudy Giuliani, Kenneth Cheseboro, Jenna Ellis and Sidney Powell.
The grand jury leveled 13 charges against Trump, including violation of Georgia’s RICO Act and three counts of solicitation of violation of oath by public officer. He has long criticized Fulton County District Attorney Fani Wills, who oversaw the investigation.
Trump, 18 others indicted by grand jury; DA sets Aug. 25 deadline for defendants’ surrender
The former president said on social media that he plans to turn himself in to face charges on Thursday. He has denied any wrongdoing.
