In a stunning turn of events, former US President Donald Trump has surrendered in Georgia to face criminal charges of interfering with the 2020 election results in the state. He is the first former American president to be arrested and have his mugshot taken by the police.
Trump flew to Atlanta on Thursday afternoon on his private jet and turned himself in at the Fulton County Jail, where he was booked and processed. He posted a bail bond of $200,000 and was released pending trial. He is expected to appear in court next month.
Trump is accused of pressuring Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find 11,780 votes” in a phone call that was recorded and leaked to the media. He also allegedly conspired with his allies, including former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, to falsify or destroy election records and impersonate public officials.
The charges against Trump include racketeering, soliciting a public official to violate his oath of office, conspiracy to impersonate a public officer, conspiracy to commit forgery and making false statements. He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
Trump has denied any wrongdoing and claimed that the case is politically motivated. He said that he is leading the Republican race to challenge President Joe Biden, a Democrat, in the 2024 presidential election. He also vowed to continue his fight to expose the “massive fraud” that he alleges occurred in the 2020 election.
The case against Trump is one of four criminal investigations that he is facing in different states. He is also being sued by several civil plaintiffs for defamation, incitement and fraud.