The Fulton County Clerk of Court's Office is making a public admission that it messed up when it posted a document containing an indictment against former President Donald Trump on Monday, prior to a grand jury officially handing up charges against him and 18 other individuals.
The court web site posted a document on Monday afternoon that contained the same charges as the actual indictment handed up late that night, which included violation of the Georgia RICO Act (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act), solicitation of violations of oath by a public officer, conspiracy to commit filing of false documents, and more.
News outlet WSB-TV caught up with Fulton County Clerk of Superior and Magistrate Courts Ché Alexander, who said she made the mistake while under pressure to make the process of delivering the indictments go smoothly.
"I am human," Alexander said. "And that’s how the mishap happened. I did a work sample in the system. And when I hit save, it went to the press queue."
Following the posted document, there was a statement released by the Fulton County Court calling the document "fictitious," and warning the media that the document was "not considered an official filing and should not be treated as such."
When asked why she released a statement calling the document "fictitious," Alexander said it "was the best word that I could come up with."
Alexander went on to say that her office has been receiving threatening calls and emails since making the mistake, and that she wanted to be "transparent" by explaining what happened: "It wasn't an official document. It wasn't official charges. It was the dry run. It was a work sample."
These admissions come as Democratic District Attorney Fani Willis seeks charges against the former President in Georgia for alleged voter fraud during the 2020 election. President Trump has strenuously denied any allegations of wrong doing.
Alexander's admission that her mistake may have been in part due to feeling the pressure of public scrutiny should come as a reminder that even the most well-meaning public servants can make mistakes in their efforts to be transparent.