Waiting for Another Hammer to Drop

Georgia on Our Minds

Elizabeth Cronise McLaughlin

Aug 14, 2023

Yesterday, CNN broke a stunning story about how deep and wide the investigation of District Attorney Fani Willis has reached. It turns out, as is the case with many narcissists, every accusation Trump makes is actually a confession.

This time, we learned that Willis’ investigation has delved into attempts, directed at the highest levels of the Trump campaign, to invade electronic voting machines in one county in Georgia. It’s anyone’s guess at this point how many folks she will end up indicting, but one thing is clear: we appear to be heading in the direction of a state RICO case, and one that is more sturdy than we might have anticipated 48 hours ago.

RICO requires the proof of three predicate acts, a.k.a. crimes in furtherance of the criminal enterprise, to meet its prerequisite standards. One type of qualifying predicate act is wire fraud, of which hacking into a computerized device would be one. So, by the way, would be an attempt to commit election fraud over the phone.

It is going to be a really interesting week on the legal front. I feel like I say this a lot lately, but: buckle up.

Meanwhile, in these dog days of summer, it’s not too early to consider the role you plan to play in our electoral process this fall. The first primaries of the 2024 election cycle are a little over four months away, and it’s time to begin ramping up our canvassing and get out the vote efforts in earnest as soon as Labor Day.

While I am optimistic about our chances in 2024, it’s critically important to stay attuned to local races especially as we do this work. So many incursions into our rights and freedoms are happening at the state and local level now, and we must remain vigilant.

I encourage you to take some time, in this period of waiting, to consider your important role in making sure that democracy still stands by November 2024. Your commitment matters. See to it, in any way you can, that we get it done.

P.S. If you’re not sure how to make an impact for the rest of this year and in 2024, we have just the solution. My company, the Gaia Leadership Project, is running a new six week program called Fall Reboot 2023: Life, Work and Impact that starts right after Labor Day. Please join us! All the details are here.