US: Georgia judge drops 6 charges in Trump interference case

A judge in the US state of Georgia dismissed some of the charges in the sweeping election interference case against former President Donald Trump, and several co-defendants. 

"This does not mean the entire indictment is dismissed," Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee said in his ruling Wednesday.

McAfee dismissed six minor counts in the indictment, including three against the former president, but a central racketeering charge against Trump and his remaining 14 co-defendants remains in place.

The dismissed charges suggested Trump and other defendants had encouraged public officials to violate the law.

McAfee found they "contain all the essential elements of the crimes but fail to allege sufficient detail regarding the nature of their commission."

What are the main charges Trump is facing?

Trump and his co-defendants, including his former lawyer Rudy Giuliani, as well as his former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, are charged with criminal attempts to interfere with the US election 2020 in Georgia.

They are charged with violating the state's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, known as RICO.

The case uses a statute usually associated with mobsters to accuse the former president, lawyers, and other aides of a "criminal enterprise" to keep him in power after he lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden.

Lawyers for Trump and his co-defendants are seeking to have the entire case dropped because of alleged misconduct by the chief prosecutor, Fani Willis.

Trump, running for president against Joe Biden in November, has slammed the case as politically motivated.

The Georgia case is one of four criminal prosecutions he is facing.

Trump, running for president against Joe Biden in November, has slammed the cases as politically motivated and denied all charges. 

lo/wmr (AP, AFP, Reuters)