Why We Wrote This The sweeping racketeering case against former President Donald Trump and 18 associates underscores the central role of states in running elections – and places Georgia at the center of an alleged national conspiracy. With its large cast of defendants and 41 separate criminal charges – including racketeering counts linking Mr. Trump’s activities to an alleged broader national conspiracy to overturn the presidential election – the Georgia indictment was surprising to many legal experts in its scope.