Atlanta PD preps for potential Trump indictment on 'racketeering' charges stemming from 2020 election

Law enforcement officials in Atlanta, Georgia, are preparing for a possible indictment of former President Donald Trump on charges of interfering in the state's 2020 elections. 

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis warned law enforcement leaders to get ready for "heightened security and preparedness” because she is expected to announce whether she will seek charges on the former president next month. 

Former US Attorney in Atlanta who served as counsel for the US Department of Homeland Security Joe Whitley told the outlet, "It’s not a Chamber of Commerce moment, but you want to make sure it’s a good visit for the city because we’ll be in an international spotlight.”

In preparation, the Fulton County Sheriff's Office sent deputies to observe how Miami and New York law enforcement handled arraignments of the former president. 

Retired vice president of Operations and public safety for Central Atlanta Progress David Wardell said that Atlanta is prepared for such an event because "we’re a special events city." However, he acknowledged that "having a former president" potentially be indicted adds "another dimension to the whole game."

Atlanta has hosted major events in the past including the Democratic National Convention in 1988, the 1996 Olympics, and the 2019 Super Bowl. "The Olympics is where we all played well together, and that culture has manifested itself over the years to be just unbelievable," said Wardell. 

"The public should feel that there’s enough security in place and they feel safe," he continued. "But they don’t want it to look too militarized, with armored vehicles parked out front, with police elbow to elbow…. But they’re ready and they’re coordinated in advance, and the resources are close by if they need to respond.”

According to reports, DA Willis has gathered enough evidence to charge former President and 2024 GOP frontrunner Donald Trump with racketeering in relation to his alleged attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election in Georgia. 

The investigation has taken two and a half years to conduct and will be the third indictment brought against the former president this year. The first was a charge in New York for allegedly paying hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels, through his attorney. The second was a federal charge for allegedly mishandling classified documents.