ATLANTA (AP) — The charges against former President Donald Trump in the Georgia election interference case seek to criminalize political speech and advocacy conduct that the First Amendment protects, his lawyers argued in a court filing challenging the indictment.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee plans to hear arguments on that filing and on two pretrial motions filed by former Georgia Republican Party chair David Shafer during a hearing set for Thursday.
Lawyers for Shafer argue that he acted legally when he and other state Republicans signed a certificate asserting that Trump won the 2020 presidential election in Georgia and declaring themselves the state’s “duly elected and qualified” electors.
McAfee is forging ahead with the case even as Trump and other defendants have said they plan to seek a ruling from the Georgia Court of Appeals to disqualify District Attorney Fani Willis.
The charges against him include impersonating a public officer, forgery, false statements and writings, and attempting to file false documents.
Persons:
Donald Trump, Scott McAfee, David Shafer, Shafer, Trump, “, McAfee, Fani Willis, Willis, Nathan Wade, Democrat Joe Biden, Brad Raffensperger, ”, Prosecutors, Biden, Shafer “, ” Willis, Wade
Organizations:
ATLANTA, Georgia Republican, Republicans, Trump, Republican, Democrat, Georgia Republicans, Georgia House, Georgia, Electoral, Democratic, Prosecutors
Locations:
Georgia, Fulton County, Raffensperger