In a significant development, former New York City Mayor and one-time personal lawyer to Donald Trump, Rudolph W. Giuliani, has been charged in connection with the investigation into efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. The charges were announced on Monday night, and Giuliani is among several individuals who have been targeted in the case.

Giuliani, who played a prominent role in Trump's legal efforts to challenge Joe Biden's victory and keep Trump in power, has come under scrutiny for his false allegations of election fraud made before state legislative committees in December 2020. Additionally, his involvement in a plan to send a slate of electors who supported Trump to Congress, despite Georgia having already certified electors in support of Biden, has also been investigated.

It is worth noting that state prosecutors in Atlanta had informed Giuliani last year that he was a target of their investigation. However, he had sought to avoid testifying to a special grand jury. He was ultimately ordered to do so and was instructed to come to Atlanta by train, bus, or Uber. Prosecutors have examined Giuliani's testimony before three legislative panels in December 2020, during which he peddled false conspiracy theories about election fraud. Officials have since confirmed that none of Giuliani's assertions turned out to be true.

Giuliani's actions in Georgia also played a crucial role in the suspension of his law license in New York State. He denigrated two Black election workers after his team played footage of them counting votes, accusing them of fraud without providing any evidence to support his claims. Furthermore, he participated in a scheme to create a fraudulent slate of Trump presidential electors to meet in mid-December 2020, despite Biden having won the election and Georgia's Republican leadership acknowledging his victory.

The investigation in Fulton County, Georgia, has been ongoing for two and a half years and is now reaching a critical stage. Prosecutors are expected to present their findings to a grand jury starting on Monday morning. The grand jury will likely decide in the coming days whether to indict Trump himself for interfering in the presidential election in Georgia. This investigation poses a significant legal burden for the former president, who is currently ahead in the race for the 2024 Republican nomination.

The investigation in Fulton County was launched after the release of a recording of a phone call between Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. In the call, Trump insisted that he had won Georgia and made baseless allegations of fraud. Multiple recounts subsequently confirmed Biden's victory in the state. The investigation has since expanded to include false statements made by Trump's lawyers in state legislative hearings, the meeting of 16 pro-Trump Republicans who cast bogus Electoral College votes, an intimidation campaign against election workers falsely accused of fraud, and an effort to copy sensitive software at an elections office in Coffee County, Georgia.

The investigation has been looking into potential violations of several laws, including the solicitation of election fraud, making false statements to state and local governmental bodies, conspiracy, racketeering, violation of oath of office, and involvement in violence or threats related to the administration of the election. The racketeering law has been of particular interest to the investigators and may be used to hold leaders accountable for their actions.

Aside from Giuliani, nearly 20 people are known to have been told that they could face charges in connection with the investigation. This includes other Trump allies, such as former state Republican Party chair David Shafer and several lawyers who worked to overturn the election results.

The Georgia investigation is part of a broader legal challenge to Trump's efforts to remain in power after his election loss. It is expected to be one of the most expansive cases yet concerning these efforts. The Fulton County investigation has made use of documents and testimony from Congress's Jan. 6 Committee, which has been examining the events surrounding the Capitol insurrection. The investigation in Georgia also intersects with two federal cases against Trump, one related to his handling of classified documents and the other to his attempts to reverse his defeat in the 2020 election. Additionally, Trump faces an indictment in New York State related to hush money payments made to cover up a potential sex scandal.

If the Fulton County grand jury decides to indict any defendants, they will have to appear in Atlanta to be booked and arraigned. Multiple charges could be filed against the defendants, potentially resulting in steep sentences. Violating racketeering law alone carries a sentence of five to 20 years. However, the timing and scheduling of a trial are uncertain due to Trump's other ongoing legal issues.