Who is Mark Meadows? 2020 election charges & Trump’s case

What you need to know about Mark Meadows’ 2020 election charges

Mark Meadows, former White House chief of staff to Donald Trump, was indicted on two charges related to his alleged role in a scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.

The charges are violation of the Georgia RICO act and solicitation of violation of oath by public officer.

The indictment alleges that Meadows conspired with Trump and others to pressure Georgia officials to overturn the election results, including by pressuring them to “find” enough votes to change the outcome of the election.

Meadows is also accused of seeking out phone numbers for Georgia officials and joining a call with Trump and former Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, in which Trump asked Raffensperger to “find 11,780 votes.”

Meadows has denied the charges and has filed a motion to dismiss the case.

Who is Mark Meadows?

Meadows is a former Republican congressman from North Carolina. He served as White House chief of staff from 2020 to 2021.

Meadows is a close ally of Trump and was a key figure in his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

What are the charges against Meadows?

Meadows is charged with two counts:

• Violation of the Georgia RICO act: The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) is a federal law that was created to combat organized crime. It is often used to prosecute individuals who engage in a pattern of illegal activity, such as fraud or extortion.
• Solicitation of violation of oath by public officer: This charge alleges that Meadows solicited Raffensperger to violate his oath of office by pressuring him to overturn the election results.

What is the RICO act?

The RICO act is a federal law that was created to combat organized crime. It is often used to prosecute individuals who engage in a pattern of illegal activity, such as fraud or extortion.

The RICO act has four main parts:

• A person must be involved in a “criminal enterprise.” This can be a group of people who are working together to commit illegal acts.
• The criminal enterprise must have engaged in a “pattern of racketeering activity.” This means that the group must have committed at least two acts of racketeering within a 10-year period.
• The person must have known that the criminal enterprise was engaged in racketeering activity.
• The person must have either participated in the racketeering activity or benefited from it.

What is the charge of solicitation of violation of oath by public officer?

This charge alleges that Meadows solicited Raffensperger to violate his oath of office by pressuring him to overturn the election results.

An oath of office is a promise that a person makes when they are elected or appointed to a government position. It is a promise to uphold the law and to faithfully discharge the duties of the position.

The charge of solicitation of violation of oath by public officer is a serious charge. It is a felony in Georgia and carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

What is the next step in the case?

The next step in the case is for Meadows to appear in court for a hearing. At the hearing, the judge will decide whether to dismiss the case or allow it to proceed.

If the case proceeds, Meadows will face a trial. At the trial, the prosecution will have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Meadows is guilty of the charges against him.

Meadows has denied the charges and has filed a motion to dismiss the case. He is also expected to argue that the RICO act does not apply to his case.

The case is likely to be closely watched by legal experts and political observers. It is one of the first cases to test the limits of the RICO act in the context of election fraud.

The outcome of the case could have a significant impact on the future of election law in the United States.