Trump and Fani Willis look to cash in on Georgia indictment

With all eyes on Fulton County, Georgia, after District Attorney Fani Willis‘ indictment of former president Donald Trump for his alleged attempts to overturn his loss there during the 2020 election, the high-profile nature of the case could prove a boon for both politicians’ re-election campaigns ahead of what is anticipated to be a public spectacle of a trial.

And both are already looking to cash in.

On Monday, the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office released the full text of its 98-page indictment against Trump and 18 others following a sweeping investigation into his team’s alleged attempts to coerce Georgia state elections officials into “finding” him enough votes to win the closely-contested state in the aftermath of the 2020 elections.

Four days before, however, Willis—who is not up for re-election until 2024—announced the launch of a new website for her re-election bid, with a donation link suggesting contributions in amounts of $50 to $500 to support her.

“Friend, we wanted you to know first that our new website is up and ready for you to share with your friends and family,” an email to supporters read on the day of its launch. “Sign up to volunteer, host an event, and continue to support the team! Thank you for your continued support to build a brighter future for Fulton County. With gratitude, Team Fani.”

Nowhere on the website is Trump’s name mentioned, nor any mention of the current case, which is set to begin as early as this March. His campaign, however, took notice immediately, holding up the site as a sign his indictment was what he had been claiming it was all along: a politically motivated “witch hunt” seeking to deny him from office.

“On the eve of my unlawful INDICTMENT, the rabid left-wing prosecutor leading the Georgia witch hunt launched her re-election campaign website and began RAISING MONEY,” Trump’s campaign wrote in a Friday email to supporters. “She even teased her special interest donors about an ‘announcement’ while the Grand Jury was still convening…”

“Not only is this rogue prosecutor trying to IMPRISON me as an innocent man, but she’s using her illegitimate prosecution of me for her own political benefit,” the email continued.

His campaign then included a prompt for supporters to donate, with the somewhat dubious guarantee of a “1,500 percent impact” for every dollar raised.

Newsweek has reached out to Willis’ campaign via email for comment.

It’s not the first time Trump has used his criminal trials as a donation prompt. After his indictment by New York City District Attorney Alvin Bragg this past March, Trump launched an all-out fundraising blitz to his supporters that reportedly yielded $4 million for his re-election effort within 24 hours of his criminal indictment.

It’s also likely Trump will need every dime of it. In recent days, reports have emerged of the notoriously miserly real estate tycoon declining to pay the legal fees of codefendants Jena Ellis and Rudy Giuliani as they defend themselves for their roles in the Fulton County probe. And earlier this summer, campaign finance reports revealed that several of Trump’s political action committees—particularly, the Save America PAC—had racked up more than $40 million in legal expenses over the course of the past year to defend him.