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In charging former President Donald Trump and his allies, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is relying on a particular aspect of Georgia state law.
So what is a RICO charge, and why is Willis applying it to alleged election interference?
Georgia's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) statute allows prosecutors to pursue criminal enterprises, and it was based on — and is broader than — the federal RICO law.
That federal act was established to target organized crime activities like money laundering, bribery, drug trafficking and other serious offenses.
Georgia's version says that attempting or soliciting any of the mentioned crimes can count as a predicate act.
Willis is no stranger to using RICO, like when her office announced sweeping RICO charges against a gang that allegedly targeted celebrities and high-profile Atlanta-area homes in a robbery ring last year.
"RICO is a tool that allows a prosecutor's office and law enforcement to tell the whole story. We use it as a tool so they can have all the information they need to make a wise decision," Willis explained. "The reason that I am a fan of RICO is I think jurors are very, very intelligent."
Willis is also no stranger to telling that story in less typical ways, like using RICO to prosecute a group of Atlanta educators as part of a widespread cheating scandal.
The 2020 election interference case comes as Willis is also prosecuting Atlanta-based hip hop artist Young Thug and others by arguing his record label Young Slime Life is a criminal organization.
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