This week, District Attorney Fani Willis of Fulton County, Georgia, charged former President Donald Trump and 18 others based on their collective efforts to subvert the results of the 2020 election and keep Trump in power. Among 41 felony counts, Willis charged each defendant under Georgia's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.
Reason's Elizabeth Nolan Brown and Jacob Sullum have detailed the charges against Trump, et al., including the RICO portion. The defendants' conduct was indefensible and a jury will likely decide whether it rises to the standard of "constitut[ing] a criminal organization," as the indictment alleges. But even apart from this case, Willis' proclivity for RICO charges is concerning.
