Trump says to turn himself in Thursday for Georgia election interference case

 WASHINGTON, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) 

 Former U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that he would turn himself in on Thursday to the authorities in Atlanta for the Georgia election interference case.

Trump and 18 others were indicted on Aug. 14 over alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in the state of Georgia. Trump was charged with 13 counts, including violating the state's racketeering act, soliciting a public officer to violate their oath, conspiring to impersonate a public officer, conspiring to commit forgery in the first degree, and conspiring to file false documents.

 The indictment followed a two-and-a-half-year investigation by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. The probe was launched after audio leaked from a January 2021 phone call during which Trump urged Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to question the validity of thousands of ballots, especially in the heavily Democratic Atlanta area. Trump said he wanted to "find" the votes to erase his 2020 loss in the state.

A judge in Atlanta set bail for Trump at 200,000 U.S. dollars on Monday in the election interference case against him, according to U.S. media reports.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump confirmed that he would turn himself in on Thursday and also attacked Willis.

"Can you believe it? I'll be going to Atlanta, Georgia, on Thursday to be ARRESTED by a Radical Left District Attorney, Fani Willis, who is overseeing one of the greatest Murder and Violent Crime DISASTERS in American History. In my case, the trip to Atlanta is not for "Murder," but for making a PERFECT PHONE CALL!" said Trump.

"She (Willis) campaigned, and is continuing to campaign, and raise money on, this WITCH HUNT. This is in strict coordination with Crooked (U.S. President) Joe Biden's DOJ (Department of Justice). It is all about ELECTION INTERFERENCE!" he added.

The Georgia case is the fourth criminal case to be brought against the former president.

Trump is facing separate federal charges for plotting to overturn the 2020 presidential election and for mishandling classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.

 In March, he was indicted on New York state charges of falsifying business records in connection with hush-money payments to an adult film actress ahead of the 2016 presidential election.