Judge sets date for Donald Trump trial to begin the day before Alabama presidential primary
Alabama voters will go to vote for their choice for President of the United States on March 5. The leading Republican contender, former President Donald Trump, will be in court for his criminal trial that begins on March 4. The judge in former President Trump’s Jan. 6-related federal court case announced Monday that jury selection will begin on March 4. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan declared that a trial date “cannot and should not” depend on the timetable of a defendant’s work life. Special counsel Jack Smith had wanted the trial to begin in January. Trump’s defense team had asked that, under the circumstances, the trial should be postponed until 2026. Judge Chutkan rejected that request and instead set the March 4 date – the day before the Super Tuesday primaries, which will likely determine the nominees for both major parties. Trump accused Chukan of being a “biased Trump Hating judge” who set a trial date that was “just what our corrupt government wanted.” Fulton County Prosecutor Fani Willis had asked the Chutkan to set the trial to begin on that same date. Trump faces four separate trials for 99 different indictments. This trial in federal court has to deal with his actions on January 6, 2021. Did President Trump’s efforts to overturn the Electoral College results constitute an insurrection, and did he act illegally? The Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution specifically bars persons who participated in an insurrection from serving in federal office. This has to do with former members of the Confederate States of America who had taken up arms against the U.S.A. Some scholars argue that January 6 did constitute an insurrection, and this provision would apply. Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson made that argument during the first Republican Presidential Debate. Trump also faces a trial in Georgia where prosecutors claim that he and 18 associates were involved in an illegal conspiracy to overturn Georgia’s presidential election results. Trump also faces federal charges stemming from his alleged mishandling of classified documents found in his home in Mar-A-Lago, Florida. Classified documents were also found in Joe Biden’s Delaware home and Mike Pence’s home, and the issue of classified material by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. None of those people were ever charged with any crimes. Trump and his campaign are also charged with election fraud in New York City related to alleged payouts to former porn star Stormy Daniels and other women for silence about alleged illicit liaisons before Trump first ran in 2016. Trump is the first former President in the history of the United States to be indicted for a crime. At present, he faces the prospect of four separate criminal trials on up to 99 different individual counts. Additionally, he has codefendants who have been charged in each of these four rounds of indictments. Potentially, all four of these trials could take place at separate points during the coming election year. There is no evidence that all of the charges and allegations have hurt Trump in the polls. Trump remains extremely popular with Republican primary voters, but the legal jeopardy he faces have made some legal scholars question whether or not he can actually be the nominee. How the legal drama will influence voters is an unknown, given the nation has never experienced a presidential campaign like this. Many argue that some of these charges could have been brought before now. That prosecutors waited until Trump was a declared 2024 presidential candidate and then sought criminal trials amid the already established campaign calendar has led some Republicans to charge that Democrats have weaponized the courts against Trump. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
House Republicans launch inquiry into Georgia official behind Donald Trump indictment
Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee launched an investigation Thursday into whether the Department of Justice coordinated with the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office in Georgia on the fourth indictment of former President Donald Trump. House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, sent a letter to Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis demanding all records of communication with the DOJ to determine whether it was “politically motivated.” “Turning first to the question of motivation, it is noteworthy that just four days before this indictment, you launched a new campaign fundraising website that highlighted your investigation into President Trump,” the letter said. “Additionally, the forewoman of the special grand jury you convened to investigate President Trump earlier this year bragged during an unusual media tour about her excitement at the prospect of subpoenaing President Trump and getting to swear him in.” The investigation comes the same day Trump is expected to turn himself in to the Georgia jail for processing. “Last week, the Fulton County Superior Court’s Clerk publicly released a list of criminal charges against President Trump reportedly hours before the vote of the grand jury,” the letter said. “A Fulton County court has disqualified you from targeting current Georgia Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones as part of your probe on the grounds that you actively supported and held fundraising events for his Democratic opponent. And unlike officials in other jurisdictions, Fulton County officials ‘have suggested [they] will process [the former President] as [a] typical criminal defendant[], requiring mug shots and possibly even cash bond.’” Notably, IRS whistleblowers recently testified that the DOJ interfered to protect the president’s son, Hunter Biden, in the legal investigation into his alleged tax, gun, and other crimes. Republicans kicked off a similar investigation into New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg after brought his charges against Trump. Bragg has a long history of anti-Trump comments and even ran for election on the promise to prosecute Trump. Trump faces 91 total charges across indictments in New York, Florida, Washington, D.C., and now Georgia. Those charges are related either to Trump’s handling of classified documents, his alleged payments to Stormy Daniels, or his alleged work to overturn the 2020 election results. The Georgia indictment features 41 charges against 19 of Trump’s alleged co-conspirators. Trump has blasted all the indictments, calling them a political effort against the Republican frontrunner. Trump currently holds a wide lead over his primary challengers, most of whom promised at Wednesday’s debate to still support him for president even if he is convicted. “THE INDICTMENTS AGAINST ME SHOULD BE VIEWED AS A CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION TO CROOKED JOE BIDEN AND HIS RADICAL LEFT THUGS,” Trump wrote on social media Wednesday. “THIS WILL BE THEIR UPDATED FORM OF CHEATING & ELECTION INTERFERENCE. REMEMBER, THESE ARE BIDEN INDICTMENTS, PURE & SIMPLE!” Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
Donald Trump surrenders on charges of trying to overturn the 2020 election
Former President Donald Trump surrendered to Fulton County authorities Thursday on charges he tried to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. Fulton County authorities charged Trump and 18 others, including former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former state Republican Party Chair David Shafer, as part of the effort. The Fulton County indictment of Trump is the fourth against the former president and the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Trump addressed reporters on the tarmac before boarding his aircraft bound for New Jersey. “What has taken place here is a travesty of justice,” Trump said. “We did nothing wrong at all. They’re interfering with an election and there’s never been anything like it in our country before. “And we have every right, every single right to challenge an election that we think is dishonest. So we think it’s very dishonest.” Even before Trump formally surrendered to authorities at the Atlanta facility, the former president’s attorneys and prosecutors agreed to set a $200,000 bond. While Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has said she would like to see the case go to trial within six months, legal experts say that is a tall order. “The idea that this case would go to trial in six months is optimistic, and I think it’s optimistic, even if you put aside that Donald Trump is facing three other indictments,” Jonathan Entin, a professor emeritus of law and adjunct professor of political science at Case Western Reserve University, told The Center Square. Additionally, Shafer, former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and former assistant U.S. Attorney General Jeffrey Clark want the case transferred to federal court. “The Georgia indictment reflects the Sergeant Joe Friday mantra of ‘just the facts, ma’am’ and could end up being easier to prove than the latest federal indictment against Trump by avoiding trying to directly blame him for the chaos of Jan. 6,” civil rights attorney V. James DeSimone, of Los Angeles-based V. James DeSimone Law, told The Center Square via email. “The task of prosecuting 19 defendants and proving acts occurring in other states may be a daunting one,” DeSimone added. “But by charging acts in other states, the indictment demonstrates how Trump and the alleged co-conspirators developed a plan to invalidate the popular vote in a sufficient number of states to alter the results of the election. “Despite its breadth and the naming of numerous co-conspirators, Georgia’s indictment is nevertheless focused on the interference with its state elections, the oath of those in office and the established protocol for the election of the electoral voters.” Additionally, Entin said it may be challenging to seat a jury in the case, but it won’t be impossible. “Just because we have one very prominent defendant, the legal system can’t work if we say, ‘well, if you’re a high enough profile person, then you can never be tried, no matter what you do,’” Entin said. “That’s just destructive of the whole idea that we have a rule of law. There’s plenty of room for reasonable minds to differ about whether Donald Trump or any of the other defendants committed any of the crimes with which they’re charged. But that’s separate from saying, ‘Well, you know, some people are too important or too prominent to be subject to the rule of law at all.’” “So, it may take a lot of work to assemble a jury that is capable of deciding the case on the basis of the evidence and put aside whatever views they bring to the table,” Entin added. Earlier Thursday, U.S. House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, sent a letter to Willis demanding all records of communication with the DOJ to determine whether it was “politically motivated.” “Turning first to the question of motivation, it is noteworthy that just four days before this indictment, you launched a new campaign fundraising website that highlighted your investigation into President Trump,” the letter said. Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
Rudy Giuliani turns himself in on Georgia 2020 election charges after bond is set at $150,000
Rudy Giuliani turned himself in at a jail in Atlanta on Wednesday on charges related to efforts to overturn then-President Donald Trump’s loss in the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. The former New York mayor, was indicted last week along with Trump and 17 others. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said they participated in a wide-ranging conspiracy to subvert the will of the voters after the Republican president lost to Democrat Joe Biden in November 2020. Bond for Giuliani, who was released after booking like the other defendants, was set at $150,000, second only to Trump’s $200,000. Giuliani, 79, is accused of spearheading Trump’s efforts to compel state lawmakers in Georgia and other closely contested states to ignore the will of voters and illegally appoint electoral college electors favorable to Trump. Other high-profile defendants also surrendered Wednesday, including Jenna Ellis, an attorney who prosecutors say was involved in efforts to convince state lawmakers to unlawfully appoint presidential electors, and lawyer Sidney Powell, accused of making false statements about the election in Georgia and helping to organize a breach of voting equipment in rural Coffee County. Georgia was one of several key states Trump lost by slim margins, prompting the Republican and his allies to proclaim, without evidence, that the election was rigged in favor of his Democratic rival Biden. Giuliani is charged with making false statements and soliciting false testimony, conspiring to create phony paperwork and asking state lawmakers to violate their oath of office to appoint an alternate slate of pro-Trump electors. Outside the Fulton County Jail Wednesday afternoon, Giuliani laughed when asked if he regretted allying himself with Trump. “I am very, very honored to be involved in this case because this case is a fight for our way of life,” Giuliani told reporters. “This indictment is a travesty. It’s an attack on — not just me, not just President Trump, not just the people in this indictment, some of whom I don’t even know – this is an attack on the American people.” Trump, the early front-runner in the 2024 Republican presidential primary, has said he plans to turn himself in at the Fulton County Jail on Thursday. He and his allies have characterized the investigation as politically motivated and have heavily criticized District Attorney Willis, a Democrat. Also Wednesday, Willis’ team urged a judge to reject requests from two of the people indicted — former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark — to avoid having to be booked in jail while they fight to move the case to federal court. Willis has set a deadline of noon on Friday for the people indicted last week in the election subversion case to turn themselves in. Her team has been negotiating bond amounts and conditions with the lawyers for the defendants before they surrender at the jail. Misty Hampton, who was the Coffee County elections director when a breach of election equipment happened there, had her bond set at $10,000. David Shafer, who’s a former Georgia Republican Party chair and served as one of 16 fake electors for Trump, and Cathy Latham, who’s accused in the Coffee County breach and was also a fake elector, turned themselves in Wednesday morning. Also surrendering Wednesday were lawyers Ray Smith and Kenneth Chesebro, who prosecutors said helped organize the fake electors meeting at the state Capitol in December 2020. Attorney John Eastman, who pushed a plan to keep Trump in power, and Scott Hall, a bail bondsman who was accused of participating in the breach of election equipment in Coffee County, turned themselves in Tuesday. The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office has said it will release booking photos at 4 p.m. each day, but Shafer appeared to post his on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, just after 7 a.m. Wednesday with the message, “Good morning! #NewProfilePicture.” While Republicans in Georgia and elsewhere are calling for Willis to be punished for indicting Trump, a group of Black pastors and community activists gathered outside the state Capitol in Atlanta Wednesday to pray for and proclaim their support for the Democratic prosecutor. Bishop Reginald Jackson, who leads Georgia’s African Methodist Episcopal churches, said that Willis is under attack “as a result of her courage and determination.” Former White House chief of staff Meadows and former Justice Department official Clark are seeking to move their cases from Fulton County Superior Court to federal court. Both argue the actions that gave rise to the charges in the indictment were related to their work as federal officials and that the state charges against them should be dismissed. While those motions are pending, they argue, they should not have to turn themselves in for booking at the Fulton County Jail. In a filing Wednesday, Willis’ team argued that Meadows has failed to demonstrate any hardship that would authorize the judge to prevent his arrest. The filing notes that other defendants, including Trump, had agreed to voluntarily surrender by the deadline. In a second filing, Willis’ team argued that Clark’s effort to halt any Fulton County proceedings while his motion is pending amounts to an attempt “to avoid the inconvenience and unpleasantness of being arrested or subject to the mandatory state criminal process.” Republished with the permission of The Associate Press.
Georgia prosecutor wants Donald Trump trial to begin the day before the Alabama presidential primary
Fulton County, Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis is requesting a March 4 start date in the trial of former President Donald Trump and 18 co-defendants over what prosecutors allege was a criminal plot to subvert Georgia’s 2020 election results and illegally keep Trump in power. Voters in Alabama, and over a dozen Super Tuesday states will be voting the very next day in presidential primaries. Attorneys from both sides are likely to still be making opening arguments on March 5 (assuming they are done with jury selection). At this point, voters in Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Virginia will all be voting on March 5. Democrats have a very different primary and caucus schedule this time around than Republicans, so not every state will have both party primaries and caucuses on the same day, though most of the Super Tuesday states do. At this point, the Republicans will begin their presidential selection with the Iowa Caucus on Jan. 15, followed by the New Hampshire Primary sometime in January, the Nevada Caucus on Feb. 8, the South Carolina primary on Feb. 24, the Michigan Primary on Feb. 27, and the Idaho Caucus on March 2, then the North Dakota Caucus on March 4 ahead of Super Tuesday on March 5. The Democrats will begin their presidential selection with New Hampshire at some time in January, followed by the South Carolina primary on Feb. 3, the Nevada Caucus on Feb. 6, and the Michigan primary on Feb. 27 ahead of Super Tuesday on March 5. Willis has also proposed that their arraignments occur during the week of Sept. 5. “In light of Defendant Donald John Trump’s other criminal and civil matters pending in the courts of our sister sovereigns, the State of Georgia proposes certain deadlines that do not conflict with these other courts’ already-scheduled hearings and trial dates,” Willis wrote in the filing. The actual trial date will be decided by a judge, not the D.A. Trump faces more trials that will interfere with campaigning. Trump’s New York case is set for March 25. Special Counsel Jack Smith has requested a trial date of Jan. 2 for the federal trial in D.C. over Trump’s actions after losing the 2020 presidential election. “We do want to move this case along,” Willis said. It has been suggested that having numerous trials of the leading Republican contender for the presidency during an election year will lead to “chaos.” U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) said on Wednesday that the Georgia indictments were “pure politics.” “Where I come from, you beat your opponents by winning fair and square,” Tuberville said. “This witch hunt has gone on for long enough. Democrats are afraid of President Trump because they know he will expose their corruption. The American people deserve an equal justice system — not one that twists the law to fit their politics.” The former President was indicted on 13 charges along with 18 of his attorneys, campaign staff, and local Georgia affiliates. Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, one of those indicted, has already filed a motion that the case be moved to federal court. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Tommy Tuberville says GA indictments of Donald Trump are “pure politics”
Late Monday night, a grand jury in Fulton County, Georgia, returned indictments against former President Donald Trump and 18 of his advisors, team members, and affiliates. On Tuesday, Alabama Today requested comment from U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama). Tuberville’s staff said that a comment would be forthcoming. Tuberville shared the statement with Alabama Today and on Twitter. Tuberville was the first Senator to endorse Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign and has for years been a vocal supporter of the former president. Tuberville recently introduced Trump at an Alabama Republican Party event in Montgomery. “Another day, another activist indictment of Biden’s top political opponent,” Sen. Tuberville said. “The fact that the radical Fulton County DA ‘accidentally’ published the indictment before the grand jury finished voting proves what we already know — this is pure politics.” “Where I come from, you beat your opponents by winning fair and square,” Tuberville continued. “This witch hunt has gone on for long enough. Democrats are afraid of President Trump because they know he will expose their corruption. The American people deserve an equal justice system — not one that twists the law to fit their politics.” The former President was indicted on 13 charges ranging from making false statements and impersonating a public officer to conspiracy and racketeering – a charge generally reserved for organized crime. This is the fourth round of indictments that the former President has received. The Fulton County DA, Fani Willis, is a Democrat and a noted Joe Biden ally. She claimed that Trump and the other eighteen defendants were trying “to accomplish the illegal goal” of keeping Trump in office. The alleged conspirators are being prosecuted under Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, which is usually reserved for organized crime figures like mafia or drug cartel members. Also indicted were former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, Trump attorney John Eastman, Trump attorney Kenneth Chesebro, Trump attorney and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Trump attorney Jenna Ellis, Trump’s Georgia legal team member Ray Smith, staffer Jeffrey Clark, attorney Robert Cheeley, Trump’s director of Election Day operations Michael Roman, staffer Stephen Lee, a leader of Black Voices for Trump Harrison Floyd, Kanye West’s former publicist Trevian Kutti, Trump “fake” elector and former Georgia Republican Party Finance Chair and State Senator Shawn Still, Trump “fake” elector Georgia Republican Party Chairman David Shafer, Sidney Powell – an attorney allied with Trump, “fake” elector retired teacher and the Chairwoman of the Coffee County Republican Party, Cathy Latham, and Coffee County election supervisor Misty Hampton (she also allegedly posted a viral video claiming Dominion Voting System machines could be manipulated), and bail bondsman Scott Hall. Trump maintains that he did nothing wrong and that Fulton County is simply using the legal process to cover up a flawed election. They maintain that criticizing the results of a disputed election and alleging election fraud is constitutionally protected free speech. Tuberville’s charge that the indictments against former President Trump are a witch hunt mirrors Republican congressmen’s claims that the Democrats’ two impeachment charges against Trump, as well as the Steele dossier allegations against then-candidate Trump in 2016, were a witch hunt. Despite the growing legal maelstrom around Trump, he remains the frontrunner in the Republican presidential primary field for 2024. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
How the Georgia indictment against Donald Trump may be the biggest yet
The fourth indictment of former President Donald Trump may be the most sweeping yet. The sprawling, 98-page case unveiled late Monday night opens up fresh legal ground and exposes more than a dozen of Trump’s allies to new jeopardy. But it also raises familiar legal issues of whether the First Amendment allows a politician to try to overturn an election. Already, Trump and his supporters are alleging the indictment is the product of a politicized, corrupt process to hobble him as he competes for the GOP nomination to face President Joe Biden next year. Here are some takeaways from Monday’s indictment: THE BIG ONE This may be the last of the Trump indictments, but it was the big one. The indictment lists 18 defendants in addition to Trump, all joined together by Georgia’s unusual anti-racketeering, or RICO, law. Many of the defendants aren’t even based in Georgia. The better-known defendants include former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and attorney Sidney Powell, who appeared in numerous hearings and on television spreading false claims about unfounded incidents of purported election fraud. Giuliani and Powell were among the unnamed co-conspirators in the federal indictment against Trump for his push to overturn the election that was released earlier this month. Others, however, had to date escaped mention in charging documents, like Trump’s then-chief of staff Mark Meadows, who was on the call during which Trump urged Georgia election officials to “find” him the votes he needed to be declared winner of the state. Other defendants include Mike Roman, a Trump campaign official who the indictment alleges helped arrange slates of fake Trump electors whose votes Congress could count rather than those of the actual appointed ones for the winner of the election, President Joe Biden. Another person charged is Jenna Ellis, who has become a prominent conservative legal personality after working on the Trump campaign and helping spread Trump’s false allegations of widespread fraud. The charges also fall upon several Georgia players, including Ray Smith and Robert Cheeley, lawyers working for Trump in Georgia, and David Shafer, then the state GOP chairman, for serving as a fake Trump elector along with fellow co-defendants Shawn Still, then the state GOP finance chairman, and Cathleen Alston Latham. A WIDER APPROACH Critics may argue this is an overreach for a local prosecutor’s office. But the Georgia RICO statute gives Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ office the ability to construct a wide-ranging narrative by citing and charging other players in the alleged wrongdoing, even those out of state. Some legal analysts think that Jack Smith, the federal prosecutor who filed the earlier charges against Trump for trying to overturn the election, didn’t charge people identified as co-conspirators in his case, like Giuliani, because he is aiming for a trial as quickly – and with as much time as possible before the 2024 presidential election — as feasible. Willis, on Monday night, said she hoped for a trial date in six months. But her office is taking a notably different, more sweeping approach from the more streamlined federal indictment. She vowed that she would seek to try all 19 defendants together. THE FIRST AMENDMENT ARGUMENT Trump is expected to employ a similar defense in both the earlier federal indictment and the Fulton County case. He and his supporters contend he’s being charged simply for speaking up against what he saw as an unfair election and practicing politics as usual. But it’s not clear that defense will work. Indeed, some of the 161 acts that prosecutors contend were part of the conspiracy to overturn may sound like protected political machinations in isolation – emails and texts about meetings of people contending to be Trump electors, tweets about alleged voter fraud, even the filing of a lawsuit in Georgia challenging the election outcome. But the indictment argues they were all steps in what it calls “a conspiracy to unlawfully change the outcome of the election in favor of Trump.” For example, it alleges that those fake elector meetings were part of an attempt to convince Georgia state lawmakers to “unlawfully” appoint the phony Trump electors, rather than the Biden ones they were bound to by law. The indictment contends the tweets about phony voter fraud and even the lawsuit were part of a similar scheme. And, finally, it says some of the lies trying to persuade Georgia’s top election official, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, and Gov. Brian Kemp to declare Trump the victor could be considered another crime under state law, solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer. DOCUMENT DRAMA A document briefly posted to the Fulton County Clerk’s Office website earlier Monday snagged the day’s proceedings and gave Trump a window to further disparage the case against him. People were still waiting to testify before the grand jury when Reuters reported on a document listing criminal charges to be brought against Trump, including state racketeering counts, conspiracy to commit false statements, and solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer. Reuters, which later published a copy of the document, said the filing was taken down quickly. A spokesperson for Willis said the report of charges being filed was “inaccurate,” but declined to comment further. A statement subsequently released by the Fulton County courts clerk called the posted document “fictitious,” but failed to explain how it got on the court’s website. Trump and his allies immediately seized on the apparent error to claim that the process was rigged. Trump’s campaign aimed to fundraise off it, sending out an email with the since-deleted document embedded. “The Grand Jury testimony has not even FINISHED — but it’s clear the District Attorney has already decided how this case will end,” Trump wrote in the email, which included links to give money to his campaign. “This is an absolute DISGRACE.” Trump’s legal team said it was not a “simple administrative mistake.” Rather, it was “emblematic of the pervasive and glaring constitutional violations which have plagued this case from its very inception,” said lawyers Drew Findling, Jennifer Little, and Marissa Goldberg.
Donald Trump boasts at Alabama fundraiser that he needs ‘one more indictment to close out this election’
Former President Donald Trump, fresh off his third appearance in court as a criminal defendant, delivered a speech full of defiance and bluster on Friday night, insulting prosecutors and declaring that the charges he faces only help his 2024 presidential campaign. “Any time they file an indictment, we go way up in the polls,” Trump said at a Republican Party dinner in Alabama. “We need one more indictment to close out this election. One more indictment and this election is closed out. Nobody has even a chance.” Trump pleaded not guilty on Thursday to crimes related to his efforts to overturn the results of his 2020 election loss. Although it’s his third criminal indictment this year, this case is the most serious, with the federal government he once ran charging him with orchestrating a scheme to block the peaceful transfer of power. But Trump was characteristically unapologetic as he took the stage Friday night to Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA,” flashing a thumbs-up at the crowd, raising his fist, and taking in a standing ovation of nearly three minutes. “We’re gonna be here for a little while,” he joked, asking the crowd to take a seat. The latest set of charges focuses on the two months between his November 2020 loss to Democrat Joe Biden and the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Trump has denied wrongdoing and has wedded his 2024 presidential campaign to his legal defense and his false claims of 2020 election fraud. In a sign of that defiance, his campaign released an online ad Friday attacking Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith, who led the investigation that resulted in Trump’s latest charges and a separate case where he’s charged with mishandling classified documents. The ad, which is expected to start airing on television next week, also attacks Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who has charged Trump in a hush-money case, and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who is believed to be close to filing charges in her investigation into efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia. A Trump aide said the ad will start airing Monday and Tuesday in Washington, D.C., New York, Atlanta, and on national cable. The ad was also shown to the crowd at the Alabama dinner Friday night. Trump has continued to receive endorsements from GOP elected officials throughout the investigations and criminal cases, including on Friday from all six of the state’s Republican U.S. House members. Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, who is waging an unprecedented campaign to try to change Pentagon abortion policy by holding up hundreds of military nominations and promotions, introduced Trump at the dinner on Friday night. “He’s had a tough week. We need to stand behind him,” Tuberville said. “He needs encouragement. They’re after him.” Repeating Trump’s frequent refrain, he added, “They’re after you.” Among the opening acts of the dinner were Catherine Engelbrecht and Gregg Phillips, who produced the movie “2000 Mules,” which made various debunked claims about mail ballots, drop boxes, and ballot collection in the 2020 presidential election. Trump praised the pair in his remarks and said: “Get ready. Get those votes ready. Just get them ready. Keep those tapes handy because you’re going to need them.” The crowd of 2,700 began arriving several hours early for the dinner, a $250-per-ticket fundraiser for the Alabama Republican Party. “They are excited,” Alabama Republican Party Chair John Wahl said. “There is so much passion from Trump supporters and voters across the state.” Trump’s mounting legal troubles do not seem to be dampening his support in the Deep South state that is among more than a dozen that will hold primary contests on Super Tuesday. The March 5 slate of elections is increasingly seen as one of the last chances for any other GOP presidential candidate to try to make inroads in Trump’s front-runner status. Trump’s closest rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, has been making a play for Super Tuesday states. In Alabama, though, one gauge of interest doesn’t bode well for the governor: The state GOP sold about 1,000 fewer tickets for a similar dinner in March when DeSantis spoke. Robin Rowan, the owner of a financial company, wore a button and sash with Trump’s image and “NOT GUILTY” emblazoned in sequins as she waited Friday to hear Trump speak. Rowan, who does not believe the criminal accusations against Trump, said the charges have galvanized support for Trump rather than making voters doubt him. “We know the truth. They are trying to wear us down. They are not going to wear us down,” Rowan said. Rich Foster, a retired police officer wearing a black “Bikers for Trump” T-shirt, said he believes some crimes were committed on Jan. 6, such as the attacks on police officers defending the Capitol, but does not consider Trump responsible for the violence that happened. “I don’t think Trump committed a crime that day,” Foster said. He said he believed that Trump, as president, had a right to speak out about the election. Trump has not been charged with inciting the attack, but prosecutors accused him of exploiting the violence and chaos at the Capitol to continue making false claims of election fraud and trying to halt the certification of the election results. Foster said he and other Trump supporters viewed the charges as an attempt to keep Trump from winning in 2024. He said he would write in the former president’s name if he had to. “If they get him off the ballot somehow,” he said, “I know how to write Donald J. Trump on the ballot.” Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville to introduce President Donald Trump in Montgomery on Friday
Former President Donald Trump will address the Alabama Republican Party on Friday at the ALGOP’s annual Summer Dinner event. Trump stalwart – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville will introduce Trump at the event. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey and the entire Alabama Republican Congressional Delegation will be in attendance to welcome the former president to the State of Alabama. “I’m excited for President Trump to return to the most conservative state in the nation. Alabama is Trump Country, and we’re going to do our part to help Make America Great Again,” said Sen. Tuberville. Tuberville was the first U.S. Senator to endorse Trump when he announced his campaign to regain the presidency in 2024. “We are pleased to announce that Senator Tommy Tuberville will introduce the President at Friday night’s ALGOP Summer Dinner,” said Alabama Republican Party Chairman John Wahl. “President Trump and Senator Tuberville are two of the most popular political figures in the State of Alabama. I am looking forward to hearing from these two conservative leaders when they make their remarks.” Tuberville will join President Trump on stage Friday at the Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center. “We are pleased to have the support of our elected officials as we head into the 2024 cycle,” said Chairman Wahl. “I want to see the Alabama Republican Party united against the out-of-control policies coming out of the leftist Democrat Party and the Biden Administration. We are going to support the American dream by pushing for fiscal responsibility, keeping our communities safe, bringing down runaway inflation, and protecting our children from woke policies. This is not going to be an easy election year, and it’s all hands on deck as we get ready to take back the White House and Senate, as well as hold on to the U.S. House.” The president’s advance team landed in Alabama on Friday, and the ALGOP staff is working with them to have a successful event Friday night. The former president will be the keynote speaker at the Summer Dinner event on Friday, August 4. Over 70 media professionals from around the country have applied for credentials to attend this event, which has the attention of the entire political world. Over two thousand people are expected to attend – which would break attendance records for an ALGOP dinner. Contact the ALGOP for the limited number of tickets that are still available. This event is expected to sell out soon. “We are doing our best to accommodate everyone wanting tickets,” Wahl said. “This is an amazing opportunity to host the frontrunner for the GOP nomination and give Alabamians the chance to hear from President Trump directly about his vision for our nation.” Trump is maintaining a significant lead over Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, U.S. Sen. Tim Scott (R-South Carolina), former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, and the other GOP contenders. While Trump has been coasting through the first months of his campaign, he is facing an increasing number of criminal indictments. Fulton County, Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis is expected to announce whether or not she will charge Trump and his team in the 2020 election and its aftermath. The Alabama Presidential primary will be on March 5. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Georgia grand jury ends probe of Donald Trump, 2020 election
The special grand jury in Atlanta investigating whether then-President Donald Trump and his allies committed any crimes while trying to overturn his 2020 election loss in Georgia has finished its work, bringing the case closer to possible criminal charges against Trump and others. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney, who was overseeing the panel, issued a two-page order Monday dissolving the special grand jury, saying it had completed its work and submitted a final report. The lengthy investigation has been one of several around the country that threaten legal peril for Trump as he mounts a third bid for the White House. The decision on whether to seek an indictment from a regular grand jury will be up to Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. Willis spokesperson Jeff DiSantis said the office had no comment on the completion of the panel’s work. McBurney wrote in his order that the special grand jury recommended that its report be made public. He scheduled a hearing for January 24 to determine whether all or part of the report should be released and said the district attorney’s office and news outlets would be given an opportunity to make arguments at that hearing. Since June, the special grand jury has heard testimony from dozens of witnesses, including numerous close Trump associates such as the former New York mayor and Trump attorney, Rudy Giuliani, and Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. Assorted high-ranking Georgia officials have also testified, among them Gov. Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. Last month, the House committee investigating the January 6, 2021, insurrection asserted in its final report that Trump criminally engaged in a “multi-part conspiracy” to overturn the lawful results of the 2020 presidential election and failed to act to stop his supporters from attacking the Capitol. The report concluded an extraordinary 18-month investigation into the former president and the violent attack. Special grand juries in Georgia cannot issue indictments but instead can issue a final report recommending actions to be taken. Willis opened the investigation in early 2021, shortly after a recording surfaced of a January 2, 2021, phone call between Trump and Raffensperger. During that call, the president suggested the state’s top elections official could “find” the votes needed to overturn his loss in the state. “I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have,” Trump had said. “Because we won the state.” Since then, it has become clear that Willis has been focusing on several different areas: phone calls made to Georgia officials by Trump and his allies; false statements made by Trump associates before Georgia legislative committees; a panel of 16 Republicans who signed a certificate falsely stating that Trump had won the state and that they were the state’s “duly elected and qualified” electors; the abrupt resignation of the U.S. attorney in Atlanta in January 2021; alleged attempts to pressure a Fulton County election worker; and a breach of election equipment in a rural south Georgia county. Lawyers for Giuliani confirmed in August that prosecutors told them he could possibly face criminal charges in the case. The 16 Republican fake electors have also been told they are targets of the investigation, according to public court filings. It is possible that others have also been notified they are targets of the investigation. Trump and his allies have consistently denied any wrongdoing, with the former president repeatedly describing his call with Raffensperger as “perfect” and dismissing Willis’ investigation as a “strictly political Witch Hunt!” Willis took the unusual step in January 2022 of requesting that a special grand jury be seated to aid the investigation. She noted that a special grand jury would have subpoena power which would help compel testimony from witnesses who were otherwise unwilling to participate in the investigation. In a letter asking the court to impanel the special grand jury, Willis wrote that her office had received information indicating a “reasonable probability” that Georgia’s 2020 election, including the presidential race, “was subject to possible criminal disruptions.” Her request was granted, and the special grand jury was seated in May. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Donald Trump seeks White House again amid GOP losses, legal probes
Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday launched his third campaign for the White House just one week after a disappointing midterm showing for Republicans, forcing the party to again decide whether to embrace a candidate whose refusal to accept defeat in 2020 sparked an insurrection and pushed American democracy to the brink. “In order to make America great and glorious again, I am tonight announcing my candidacy for president of the United States,” Trump said before an audience of several hundred supporters in a chandeliered ballroom at his Mar-a-Lago club, where he stood flanked by American flags and banners bearing his “Make America Great Again” slogan. “America’s comeback starts right now,” he said, formally beginning the 2024 Republican primary. Another campaign is a remarkable turn for any former president, much less one who made history as the first to be impeached twice and whose term ended with his supporters violently storming the Capitol in a deadly bid to halt the peaceful transition of power on January 6, 2021. Trump also enters the race in a moment of deep political vulnerability. He hoped to launch his campaign in the wake of resounding GOP midterm victories, fueled by candidates he elevated during this year’s primaries. Instead, many of those candidates lost, allowing Democrats to keep the Senate and leaving the GOP with a path to only a bare majority in the House. Trump has been blamed for the losses by many in his party, including a growing number who say the results make clear it’s time for the GOP to move past him and look to the future, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis emerging from last week’s elections as an early favorite. In addition to trying to blunt his potential rivals’ rise, Trump’s decision to launch his candidacy before the 2022 election had been fully decided also comes as he faces a series of escalating criminal investigations, including several that could lead to indictments. They include the probe into hundreds of documents with classified markings that were seized by the FBI from Mar-a-Lago and ongoing state and federal inquiries into his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. As Trump has spent the last months teasing his return, aides have been sketching out the contours of a campaign that is being modeled on his 2016 operation, when Trump and a small clutch of aides defied the odds and defeated far better-funded and more experienced rivals by tapping into deep political fault lines and using shocking statements to drive relentless media attention. Trump returned to that dark rhetoric in his speech Tuesday, painting the country under President Joe Biden in apocalyptic terms, describing “blood-soaked streets” in “cesspool cities” and an “invasion” at the border and earning cheers as he vowed to execute those convicted of selling drugs. “We are a nation in decline,” he said. “We are here tonight to declare that it does not have to be this way.” Trump notably avoided much talk of the 2020 election, eschewing the extreme conspiracy theories that often dominate his rallies. Still, the speech included numerous exaggerations and deflections as he cast himself as “a victim” of wayward prosecutors and the “festering, rot and corruption of Washington.” While Trump spoke before a crowd of several hundred, notably missing were many longtime supporters, including previous campaign managers, aides, and his daughter Ivanka, who released a statement saying that she does not plan to be involved in his campaign. “While I will always love and support my father, going forward, I will do so outside the political arena,” she said in a statement. Even after the GOP’s midterm losses, Trump remains the most powerful force in his party thanks to the loyalty of his base. For years he has consistently topped his fellow Republican contenders by wide margins in hypothetical head-to-head matchups. And even out of office, he consistently attracts thousands to his rallies and remains his party’s most prolific fundraiser, raising hundreds of millions of dollars. But Trump is also a deeply polarizing figure. Fifty-four percent of voters in last week’s midterm elections viewed him very or somewhat unfavorably, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 94,000 voters nationwide. And an October AP-NORC poll found even Republicans have their reservations about him remaining the party’s standard-bearer, with 43% saying they don’t want to see him run for president in 2024. Trump’s candidacy poses profound questions about America’s democratic future. The final days of his presidency were consumed by a desperate effort to stay in power, undermining the centuries-old tradition of a peaceful transfer. And in the two years since he lost, Trump’s persistent — and baseless — lies about widespread election fraud have eroded confidence in the nation’s political process. By late January 2021, about two-thirds of Republicans said they did not believe Biden was legitimately elected in 2020, an AP-NORC poll found. VoteCast showed roughly as many Republican voters in the midterm elections continued to hold that belief. Federal and state election officials and Trump’s own attorney general have said there is no credible evidence the 2020 election was tainted. The former president’s allegations of fraud were also roundly rejected by numerous courts, including by judges Trump appointed. While some Republicans with presidential ambitions have long ruled out running against Trump, others, including Vice President Mike Pence, have been taking increasingly public steps toward campaigns of their own, raising the prospect of a crowded GOP primary. That could ultimately play to Trump’s advantage, as it did in 2016, when he prevailed over more than a dozen other candidates who splintered the anti-Trump vote. Trump’s decision also paves the way for a potential rematch with Biden, who has said he intends to run for reelection despite concerns from some in his party over his age and low approval ratings. The two men were already the oldest presidential nominees ever when they ran in 2020. Trump, who is 76, would be 82 at the end of a second term in 2029. Biden, who is about to turn 80, would
Video fills in details on alleged Georgia election system breach
Two months after the 2020 presidential election, a team of computer experts traveled to south Georgia to copy software and data from voting equipment in an apparent breach of a county election system. They were greeted outside by the head of the local Republican Party, who was involved in efforts by then-President Donald Trump to overturn his election loss. A security camera outside the elections office in rural Coffee County captured their arrival. The footage also shows that some local election officials were at the office during what the Georgia secretary of state’s office has described as “alleged unauthorized access” of election equipment. Security footage from two weeks later raises additional alarms — showing two people who were instrumental in Trump’s wider efforts to undermine the election results entering the office and staying for hours. The security video from the elections office in the county about 200 miles (320 kilometers) southeast of Atlanta offers a glimpse of the lengths Trump’s allies went in service of his fraudulent election claims. It further shows how access allegedly was facilitated by local officials entrusted with protecting the security of elections while raising concerns about sensitive voting technology being released into the public domain. Georgia wasn’t the only state where voting equipment was accessed after the 2020 presidential election. Important information about voting systems also was compromised in election offices in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Colorado. Election security experts worry the information obtained — including complete copies of hard drives — could be exploited by those who want to interfere with future elections. “The system is only as secure as the people who are entrusted to keep it secure,” said lawyer David Cross, who represents plaintiffs in a long-running lawsuit over Georgia’s voting machines. The Coffee County security footage was obtained through that lawsuit, which alleges that Georgia’s touchscreen voting machines are vulnerable to attack and should be replaced by hand-marked paper ballots. The suit long predates and is unrelated to false allegations of widespread election fraud pushed by Trump and his allies after the 2020 election. The alleged breach in Coffee County’s elections office also has caught the attention of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who is overseeing an investigation into whether Trump and his allies illegally tried to influence the 2020 election results in Georgia. Last month, Willis cited the Coffee County activity, among other things, when she sought to compel testimony from Sidney Powell, an attorney who was deeply involved in Trump’s effort to undo the election results. Emails and other records show Powell and other attorneys linked to Trump helped arrange for a team from data solutions company SullivanStrickler to travel to Coffee County, which Trump won by nearly 40 percentage points. The surveillance video, emails, and other documents that shed light on what happened there in January 2021 were produced in response to subpoenas issued in the voting machine lawsuit and were obtained by The Associated Press. Parts of the security video appear to contradict claims by some of the local officials: — Footage captures Cathy Latham, then chair of the Coffee County Republican Party, arriving at the elections office shortly after 11:30 a.m. on January 7, 2021, the day after the violent assault on the U.S. Capitol. Just a few weeks earlier, she was one of 16 Georgia Republicans who signed a certificate falsely stating that Trump had won the state and declaring that they were the state’s “duly elected and qualified” electors. A few minutes after her arrival, she is seen outside greeting SullivanStrickler Chief Operating Officer Paul Maggio and two other people. Less than 10 minutes later, she escorts two other men into the building. The video shows her leaving the elections office just before 1:30 p.m., roughly two hours after she greeted the SullivanStrickler team. She returns a little before 4 p.m. and then leaves around 6:15 p.m. Latham said under oath during a deposition in August that she stopped by the elections office that evening for “Just a few minutes” and left before 5 p.m. Pressed on whether she had been there earlier in the day, Latham said she couldn’t recall but suggested her schedule as a teacher would not have allowed it. A lawyer for SullivanStrickler said in an email attached to a court filing that Latham was a “primary point of contact” in coordinating the company’s work and “was on site” while that work was done. Robert Cheeley, a lawyer for Latham, said in an emailed statement that his client doesn’t remember all the details of that day. But he said she “would not and has not knowingly been involved in any impropriety in any election” and “has not acted improperly or illegally.” — The video also shows Eric Chaney, a member of Coffee County’s election board, arriving shortly before 11 a.m. the same day and going in and out several times before leaving for the night around 7:40 p.m. Lawyers for the plaintiffs in the voting machine lawsuit wrote in a court filing that a photo produced by SullivanStrickler’s COO shows Chaney in the office as the copying is happening. During a deposition last month, Chaney declined to answer many questions about that day, citing the Fifth Amendment. But when an attorney representing the county reached out to him in April regarding questions from The Washington Post, Chaney wrote, “I am not aware of nor was I present at the Coffee County Board of Elections and Registration’s office when anyone illegally accessed the server or the room in which it is contained.” Chaney resigned from the elections board last month, days before his deposition. Attempts to reach Chaney by phone were unsuccessful, and his lawyer did not respond to an email seeking comment. — About two weeks after the initial breach, video shows Misty Hampton — then the county elections director — arriving at the elections office at 4:20 p.m. on January 18, when it was closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. She unlocked the door and let in two men — Doug Logan and Jeff Lenberg, who have been active in efforts to challenge
