@AJC reporter covering the Fulton County election probe, voting, elections and health care
Atlanta
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I'm back from maternity leave and covering some new ground at the @ajc. Yes, I'll still be writing about the aftershocks of the Fulton election interference case, but also doing in-depth stories on voting, elections and health care on the ground here in Georgia. Let's connect!
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Fani Willis, who has led Fulton County’s prosecution of Donald Trump, easily won reelection on Tuesday, securing a second four-year term as DA.
The veteran prosecutor defeated Republican Courtney Kramer, an attorney and former Trump White House intern
ajc.com/politics/fulton-da-f…
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BREAKING: The Fulton County special grand jury that has spent the last eight months examining potential criminal interference in Georgia’s 2020 presidential election has completed its work and is being dissolved ajc.com/politics/breaking-fu… #gapol
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Breaking: Judge Charles Roberts of Sarasota, Fla. signs order saying Trump's ex-national security adviser, Michael Flynn, is a "material and necessary witness" to the Fulton Co investigation. Flynn must appear in Atlanta to testify before the special grand jury on Nov. 22 #gapol
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Next week is going to be busy here in Atlanta: we're expecting Fulton DA Fani Willis to pursue indictments against Trump + others. I’ve been covering her elections interference case since the beginning, along with my @ajccolleagues. Here's a look at what to expect 🧵
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New: Fulton DA Fani Willis accuses House Judiciary Committee leaders of seeking to "obstruct a Georgia criminal proceeding and to advance outrageous misrepresentations."
More on her spicy response to Chairman Jordan via @dwickert:
ajc.com/politics/willis-blas…
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Shade: On page 6, Willis recommends that Jordan buy a copy of John Floyd's RICO book for the non-bar member price of $249
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BREAKING: Attorney JENNA ELLIS is taking a plea deal in Fulton County. She's pleading guilty to one count of aiding and abetting false statements and writings
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Breaking: Fulton DA Fani Willis moving to revoke the bond of Trump case defendant Harrison Floyd, citing his social media posts. She said recent tweets tagging people like Brad Raffensperger, Gabe Sterling and Ruby Freeman amount to witness intimidation
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DA’s office says it will be holding a press conference AFTER the indictments are processed by the clerk’s office… which could take 1-3 hours, I’m told
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BREAKING: Fulton DA Fani Willis improperly hired an alleged romantic partner to prosecute Donald Trump and financially benefited from their relationship, according to a bombshell new court filing that argued the indictment was unconstitutional.
ajc.com/politics/breaking-fi…
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BREAKING: It appears that SCOTT HALL has become the first co-defendant in the Fulton election interference case to take a plea deal with prosecutors. Much more to come
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There are 13 felony charges against Trump, including RICO, conspiracy to commit forgery, filing false documents, Solicitation of Violation of Oath by Public Officer and more
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Just in: Fulton DA Fani Willis fires back at House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, who has pressed her for information about her indictment of Donald Trump and her communications with DOJ and Jack Smith
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New: Pete Skandalakis, the head of the Prosecuting Attorneys Council of GA, is asking a Fulton judge for access to the special grand jury's final report to review any info about Lt. Gov. Burt Jones 1/
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Anxious reporters are assembling in the 8th floor courtroom of Robert McBurney, the Fulton judge on duty who will be receiving any charges that are handed up from the grand jury. McBurney briefly stepped in and told reporters to hang in there
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NEW: The Fulton County DA's office has offered immunity deals to some of the alternate GOP electors who were previously labeled targets of its criminal probe ajc.com/politics/fulton-pros… #gapol
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BREAKING: Attorney SIDNEY POWELL is taking a plea deal in Fulton County, one day before jury selection was set to begin for her election interference case alongside Ken Chesebro.
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Breaking: Gov. Brian Kemp will testify Tuesday morning before the Fulton County special grand jury examining whether Trump and his allies criminally meddled in Georgia’s 2020 elections ajc.com/politics/breaking-ke… #gapol
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Inbox: 59-year-old Huntsville, Ala., man indicted for threatening voicemails he sent to Fulton DA Fani Willis and Fulton Sheriff Pat Labat over their connections to the Trump case. Arthur Ray Hanson II was charged with transmitting interstate threats to injure Willis and Labat
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Indictments are beginning to appear on the Fulton clerk's website. Charges approved for TRUMP
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Breaking: Former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan and independent journalist George Chidi were both supposed to testify on Tuesday, but are now expected to meet on Monday with grand jurors at the Fulton County Courthouse ajc.com/news/chidi-duncan-to… with @bluestein
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BREAKING: Attorney KEN CHESEBRO, who advised the Trump campaign on assembling a slate of Trump electors in swing states like Georgia, has reached a plea deal with Fulton prosecutors, according to a source familiar. (Confirming @AnnaBower) He will receive probation. More to come
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Jordan recently demanded records of Willis’s communications with DOJ officials.
Willis said Jordan's inquiry "makes clear that you lack a basic understanding of the law, its practice and the ethical obligations of attorneys generally and prosecutors specifically."
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Judge McBurney just entered his courtroom. Feels like it's coming. He's cracking a few jokes with reporters watching the door
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New: Ahead of this month's RICO trial of Ken Chesebro and Sidney Powell, Fulton prosecutors have filed certificates of need for six witnesses who live outside of Georgia. They are:
-James DeGraffenreid
-Greg Safsten
-Lin Wood
-Boris Epshteyn
-Lawrence Tabas
-Aaron Vick
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We at the AJC are skeptical of the cover page people are citing to report that the Fulton grand jury handed up 10 indictments in the Trump case tonight 1/
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Just in: DA Willis responding to Ken Chesebro's speedy trial demand. Calling for the trial for all 19 Fulton defendants to begin on Oct. 23, 2023
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BREAKING: Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is requesting a special grand jury to aid in her investigation of former President Donald Trump ajc.com/news/atlanta-news/br… #gapol
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BREAKING: Trump, 18 others indicted by Fulton County grand jury for trying to overthrow 2020 Georgia election ajc.com/politics/trump-18-ot… #gapo,
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Several folks have asked: even if this is removed to federal court, DA Willis and her team could be sworn in as special US attys so they could continue to prosecute. It would still be a case looking at state, not federal law. So presidential pardons still would not apply
New: Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows seeks to move Fulton charges to fed court ajc.com/politics/breaking-ma…
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BREAKING: A proposed scheduling order from Fulton DA Willis calls for arraignments the week of Sept. 5 and a trial to begin March 4, just before the Georgia presidential primary
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New: Trump's Georgia legal team is filing a flurry of motions in Fulton court this morning. They're seeking to quash the special grand jury's final report, block the use of any evidence derived from it and recuse the DA's office from the case. Much more to come #gapol
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EXCLUSIVE: Fulton prosecutors' witness list in the Trump elections case includes several top Georgia officials and former senior members of Trump's Justice Department, including Bill Barr, Jeffrey Rosen and Richard Donoghue. With @ajccourts @bluestein
ajc.com/politics/exclusive-f…
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BREAKING: The Fulton County special grand jury investigating Georgia’s 2020 elections has subpoenaed key members of former President Donald Trump’s legal team, including his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, according to copies obtained by the @ajc ajc.com/politics/fulton-gran… #gapol
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There's a lot of reporting out there that a felony RICO conviction in Georgia has a mandatory minimum of at least 5 years prison time. That's not true 1/
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Fulton Judge Robert McBurney wrote that the grand jury has fulfilled its duties to his satisfaction and that a majority of his colleagues agree. Next up: hearing Jan. 24 to determine whether to make the jury's final report public ajc.com/politics/breaking-fu…
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Expect the DA's office, media orgs and, likely, investigation targets to weigh in on the 24th. The jurors themselves want to make the report public, McBurney noted ajc.com/politics/breaking-fu… #gapol
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Just in: The Fulton DA's office is requesting a protective order for the discovery materials to be handed over to Trump + the 18 other RICO defendants to prevent their public release
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BREAKING: Fulton County DA Willis say she will announce this summer whether former President Donald Trump and his allies will be charged with crimes related to alleged interference in Georgia’s 2020 election ajc.com/politics/trump-probe… #gapol
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I am standing in the Fulton courthouse and just spoke to the DA’s office. NO INDICTMENTS yet in the Trump election interference case
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BREAKING: Fulton DA Willis on Thursday accused the wife of Nathan Wade, one of her top deputies in the Trump racketeering case, of using the Wades’ divorce case as a means to harass and damage Willis’ reputation and obstruct the election probe
ajc.com/politics/fulton-trum…
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It’s past 7 pm but with grand jury presentations still ongoing the media is staying out
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Breaking: Former President Donald Trump's bond set for $200,000 in Fulton County
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Hello from the Fulton Courthouse, where the building is just now opening for the day. Lots of media. Just as much law enforcement
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After finishing our print coverage and recording two podcasts, that’s a wrap for team @ajc! Much more to come in the days ahead!
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“The bottom line is that in GA as long as I’m governor, we’re going to follow the law and the Constitution, regardless of who it helps and harms politically. Over the last few years, some ... may have forgotten that. But I can assure you that I have not.”
In a remarkable press conference, Gov. Brian Kemp squashed the idea of a special legislative session to oust Fulton County DA Fani Willis -- and warned fellow Republicans of the risks in trying to use government powers to punish her. #gapol ajc.com/politics/kemp-reject…
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Just in: Sidney Powell, an attorney briefly affiliated with the Trump campaign, files a speedy trial demand in Fulton County
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Bookmarking this great annotated version of the Fulton indictments from @ajccourts. No one in the Georgia press corps understands the legal concepts at play here better than Bill ajc.com/news/annotated-the-f…
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“I don’t know what Jack Smith is doing and Smith doesn’t know what I’m doing. In all honesty, if Smith was standing next to me, I’m not sure I would know who he was. My guess is he probably can’t pronounce my name correctly.” Great get from @gringsam wabe.org/fulton-d-a-fani-wil…
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.@ajccourts and @JeremyLRedmon have found the video of the week.
Yes, that's Fulton Judge Scott McAfee, who was just assigned the huge racketeering case against former Trump and 18 others, playing the electric cello with his teeth in high school ajc.com/news/watch-fulton-ju…
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Just spotted power walking through the Fulton courthouse lobby: Gabe Sterling of the Secretary of State’s office (he’s on the left). He wouldn’t answer any of my qs but it wouldn’t be surprising if he’s testifying before the grand jury
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The terms:
5 years probation
$5000 restitution to the Georgia Secretary of State’s office
First offender status
100 hours community service
Apology letter
Testify truthfully
No communication with co-defendants, witnesses and media
Additional recorded statements to prosecutors
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Kemp is among the most high-profile witnesses to testify before the grand jury. His blockbuster appearance represents a hard-fought victory for the Fulton County DA’s office, which has been angling for Kemp’s testimony for a year-and-a-half ajc.com/politics/breaking-ke… #gapol
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New: Fulton prosecutors are floating plea deals to a number of defendants in the 2020 election interference case
ajc.com/politics/fulton-pros…
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Confirming CNN's reporting that Trump is working with a local bonding company to cover his $200,000 bail.
Charles Shaw, the CEO of Lawrenceville-based Foster Bail Bonds LLC, said he'll be posting Trump's bail
ajc.com/news/lawrenceville-c…
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Trump alleges that Atlanta is one of the most dangerous cities in the world. But no matter how you slice it data-wise that's just not true, according to @stephanierlamm
ajc.com/news/georgia-news/tr…
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A felony RICO conviction in Georgia comes with a 5-20 year sentence. But that doesn't necessarily mean prison time. Could be solely probation, prison time or a mix of both. My primer: ajc.com/politics/what-to-kno… #gapol 2/2
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Ellis is the fourth of 19 defendants to plead guilty in this case. Her agreement comes less than a week after two others, Sidney Powell and Ken Chesebro, negotiated deals just hours before going to trial.
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Fulton DA Fani Willis says she's satisfied with McBurney's order and doesn't plan to appeal the decision:
“I believe Judge McBurney’s order is legally sound and consistent with my request. I have no plans to appeal today’s order.”
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Currently awaiting Fulton DA Fani Willis to make post-indictment remarks. We still don’t have any numbers or names
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Breaking: A judge in Virginia has rejected an effort by former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich to avoid testifying before a special grand jury in Georgia investigating the effort by former President Donald Trump to reverse his 2020 election loss ajc.com/politics/virginia-ju… #gapol
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Just in: Fulton DA's office is seeking testimony from RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel + far-right radio talk show host Alex Jones for the upcoming Ken Chesebro and Sidney Powell trial
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Well consider me shook. At DA Willis’ campaign party in Buckhead and Nathan Wade just walked in. All smiles
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Happening today: After long court fight, Lindsey Graham to testify before Fulton grand jury Tuesday ajc.com/politics/after-long-… #gapol
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Breaking: Trump opts NOT to remove his Georgia RICO case from Fulton to federal court
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To be clear: we have no idea what the special grand jury has recommended. It can't issue indictments, but can make suggestions about whether DA Fani Willis should press charges. If McBurney rules to keep the report private, could take months - or years - for recs to become public
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Independent journalist George Chidi just walked up the front steps of the Fulton courthouse
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Could be a preview of what's to come from the Fulton DA's office in its response to Kemp, expected in the coming days. "We have been working with you in good faith for months... You have been less than honest about conversations that have taken place." #gapol
Fulton County DA Fani Willis isn’t messing around. Her letter to Kemp’s lawyer, embedded in the today’s court filing over a pending subpoena of the governor:
“The email you have sent is offensive and beneath an officer of the court. You are both wrong and confused.” #gapol
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Breaking: Fulton Judge McBurney says he’ll order Rudy Giuliani to appear before the special grand jury on Aug. 17. (Giuliani was initially scheduled to testify today but said he couldn’t fly down because of a medical procedure.) 1/ #gapol
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Lots of folks have been asking whether Judge McAfee's ruling yesterday striking 6 of the 41 counts in the Fulton indictment means the Trump-Raffensperger phone call is no longer an active issue in the case. That's not true 1/
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BREAKING: Members of the Fulton special grand jury that investigated interference in Georgia’s 2020 election recommended that dozens of people be indicted for alleged crimes, including Trump, Graham and even former Georgia U.S. Sens. Perdue, Loeffler
ajc.com/politics/breaking-fu…
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Loeffler testified before the special grand jury in 2022. Jurors later recommended that she be charged with crimes stemming from her actions following the 2020 election but Willis opted not to
Former Sen. Loeffler urges a challenger to run against DA Fani Willis: "The Fulton judge might well remove Willis from Trump’s trial ... but it will be up to the voters of Georgia to remove her from the office of district attorney this November." #gapol
ajc.com/opinion/opinion-judg…
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Also:
Provide documents and other evidence
Post nothing about the case on social media until the legal process, including appeals, concludes
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Also on Fulton prosecutors' witness list: Congressman Scott Perry, Steve Bannon, Cassidy Hutchinson and two Georgia Republicans who backed out of serving as Trump electors ajc.com/politics/exclusive-f…
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Powell is now pleading guilty of six counts of conspiracy to commit intentional interference with performance of election duties
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All of this is in response to a letter Jordan sent Willis last month. Jordan wants to determine whether Willis coordinated with DOJ or the White House as part of her inquiry.
More background from @TIAreports
ajc.com/news/us-house-commit…
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Jones appears to be "unindicted co-conspirator Individual 8" in the indictment. More background from my great colleague @dwickert ajc.com/politics/following-t… 4/4
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We're expecting prosecutors to begin presenting their case to grand jurors on Monday morning. Past racketeering cases have taken about 2 days to present. Which gels with two witnesses in this case saying they were told to come in Tues ajc.com/politics/breaking-fu…
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Very emotional moment as Ellis takes the unusual step of addressing Judge McAfee. With tears streaming down her face, she said "if I knew then what I know now, I would have declined to rep Trump in these post-election challenges...I look back on this experience with deep remorse"
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The Fulton County DA’s office has grounds to seek jail time for a Chicago publicist after she posted a video which seems to target an ex-poll worker at the center of GA's election subversion case, according to legal experts.
Unpacking the latest: ajc.com/politics/legal-exper…
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I'm also seeing charges for former DOJ official Jeffrey Clark; GOP electors David Shafer and Shawn Still.
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Willis said Harrison Floyd has “engaged in numerous intentional and flagrant violations” of his bond agreement.
It will be up to Judge Scott McAfee to decide whether Floyd should go back to jail. More:
ajc.com/politics/breaking-fu…
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Willis previously told me that when the call first leaked, she prayed Raffensperger lived in Macon or somewhere else outside of her jurisdiction. But that was wishful thinking. She said it was her duty as DA to investigate. "I don't see where I really had a choice," she told me
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Willis contends that Wade’s estranged wife “has conspired with interested parties" in the Trump case "to use the civil discovery process to annoy, embarrass and oppress" the DA.
She said Wade's wife is also “obstructing and interfering" with the Trump case
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Willis is effectively calling Chesebro's bluff with this new filing -- telegraphing to him and the 18th others that the state is indeed ready.
Will be up to Judge McAfee to weigh in now. There's also the question of what happens to the pending fed removal motions....
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Monday was a day I won’t soon forget.
What it was like reporting on the Fulton indictments from inside the courthouse, with @ShaddiAbusaid
ajc.com/politics/fifteen-hou…
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To summarize: it's possible there's only one elections-related indictment tonight in Fulton, and it would presumably be a large one with many defendants
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Several people who were allegedly involved in the effort to pressure Fulton poll worker Ruby Freeman were also indicted, including publicist Trevian Kutti; Illinois pastor Stephen Cliffguard Lee; and Harrison Floyd, who served as director of Black Voices for Trump
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New: Georgia House Speaker David Ralston testified Thursday before the Fulton County special grand jury. He was likely asked about little-known phone calls he received from Trump and Giuliani in late 2020 ajc.com/news/ralston-testifi… #gapol
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The letters amount to one of the strongest signals yet that Willis is on the verge of trying to obtain an indictment against Trump and his supporters
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All of this is years in the making. Willis launched her investigation in Feb. 2021, weeks after she was sworn in as DA. It was in response to the infamous leaked phone call between Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger ajc.com/news/crime/new-fulto…
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Sterling, alongside his boss Brad Raffensperger, forcefully pushed back against misinformation efforts in the aftermath of the election. He made some of the most notable comments about the threats and harassment experienced by poll workers
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This current grand jury meets Mondays and Tuesdays, and we're not expecting prosecutors to want this stuff to sit out there for another week and then have jurors come back. So Tuesday is looking like the day jurors will vote on charges ("true bill" v "no bill")
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New: Fulton County special prosecutor Nathan Wade settles his divorce case, negating the need for a public hearing on Wednesday in which Wade was expected to testify.
Via @ajccourts and @charlesminshew
ajc.com/politics/special-cou…
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