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☆ A Georgia grand jury recommended indicting Sen. Lindsey Graham for trying to overturn the 2020 election
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A special grand jury in Atlanta last year recommended indicting Sen. Lindsay Graham for election interference. The special grand jury also recommended charges against former Sens. "We find by unanimous vote that no widespread fraud took place in the Georgia 2020 presidential election that could result in overturning that election." Graham fought a subpoena from the special grand jury — a legal battle he ultimately lost after the Supreme Court rejected his challenges. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe special grand jury recommended indictments against 39 people overall.

Persons: indicting Sen, Lindsay Graham, Sens, David Perdue, Kelly Loeffler, empaneled, Lindsay Graham of, Graham —, —, Fani, Donald Trump, Boris Epshtyn, Lin Wood, Michael Flynn, Graham, Scowling Trump, mugshot Willis, Brad Raffensperger, Joe Biden, Biden's, Trump, Raffensperger, Graham didn't, Mark Meadows, Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, Kenneth Chesebro, John Eastman Organizations: Trump, Service, National, Trump and Georgia, Georgia, Washington Post Locations: Atlanta, Wall, Silicon, Georgia, Lindsay Graham of South Carolina, Fulton County, State

☆ Donald Trump may seek to move Georgia election case to federal court
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Jack Queen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Former U.S. President Donald Trump departs from Trump Tower to give a deposition to New York Attorney General Letitia James who sued Trump and his Trump Organization, in New York City, U.S., April 13, 2023. Trump and the other defendants were indicted on charges that they unlawfully pressured Georgia election officials to overturn Biden's election victory in the state. Steven Sadow, a lawyer for Trump, wrote in a one-page court filing, "President Trump hereby notifies the court that he may seek removal of his prosecution to federal court." Federal court could be more favorable for Trump because he would face a more politically diverse jury pool than in Fulton County, a Democratic stronghold. U.S. District Judge Steve Jones is expected to rule on the petitions to move the matter into federal court in the coming weeks.

Persons: Donald Trump, Letitia James, Trump, Mike Segar, Mark Meadows, Fani Willis, Joe Biden, Steven Sadow, Willis, Steve Jones, Scott McAfee, Kenneth Chesebro, Sidney Powell, Meadows, Kanishka Singh, Jack Queen, Will Dunham, Susan Heavey, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: U.S, Trump Tower, New York, Trump Organization, REUTERS, Rights, White, Republican, Democratic, Trump, District, Thomson Locations: New, New York City, U.S, Georgia, Fulton County, Florida, Washington, New York

☆ Takeaways from the first Fulton County hearing on the Trump election subversion case
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Jeremy Herb | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Here are takeaways from Wednesday’s hearing:Judge skeptical of a quick and joint trialMcAfee expressed skepticism about Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ desire to hold a joint trial for all 19 defendants in October. “It just seems a bit unrealistic that we can handle all 19 (defendants) in 40-something days,” McAfee said. Trump is at the center of the Fulton County prosecutors’ alleged conspiracy, even as they charged 18 other co-defendants for taking part in efforts to overturn the 2020 election result. Special counsel Jack Smith took a different approach in his federal election subversion case, charging Trump alone and including six unindicted co-conspirators – several of whom are now Trump’s co-defendants in Fulton County. Scott Grubman, an attorney for Chesebro, suggested Trump’s presence in the Fulton County case could cloud how a jury views the other defendants.

Persons: Donald Trump, it’s, Kenneth Chesebro, Sidney Powell, Scott McAfee, Powell –, McAfee, Fani Willis ’, Willis, ” McAfee, Nathan Wade, What’s, ”, Judge, Powell, Chesebro, Sydney Powell, Kenneth Chesebro Getty, Kenneth Chesbro “, Cheseboro, Michael Moore, ” Moore, ’, Manny Arora, ” Arora, Arora, Trump, Brian Rafferty, Rafferty, “, Will Wooten, ” Wooten, Jack Smith, –, Scott Grubman, ” Grubman, Grubman, Meadows, Mark Meadows, – Robert Cheeley, Jeffrey Clark, Shawn Still – Organizations: CNN, Trump, Chesebro, RICO, McAfee, White House Locations: Fulton County , Georgia, Fulton County, Georgia, Coffee County , Georgia, Coffee County, Fulton, Chesebro

Former U.S. President Donald Trump arrives at Trump Tower after giving a deposition to New York Attorney General Letitia James who sued him and his Trump Organization, in New York City, U.S., April 13, 2023. Trump, the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, was charged in August in an indictment alleging he and his co-defendants conspired to pressure Georgia election officials to reverse his loss to Democratic President Joe Biden. Several defendants have filed similar motions to sever, and some are seeking to move their cases from state to federal court. Prosecutors countered that all of the defendants are implicated in the same scheme to overturn Georgia’s election results. Trump is set to face three other criminal trials next year, further complicating the schedule in the Georgia case.

Persons: Donald Trump, Letitia James, Bing Guan, Scott McAfee, Sidney Powell, Kenneth Chesebro, Scott Grubman, Trump, Joe Biden, Prosecutors, McAfee, Powell, Chesebro, Fani Willis, Jack Queen, Noeleen Walder, Daniel Wallis Organizations: U.S, Trump, New York, Trump Organization, REUTERS, Chesebro, Democratic, Prosecutors, White, Thomson Locations: New, New York City, U.S, Georgia, Fulton County, Atlanta, Florida, Washington

Since lawyers Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell have both filed speedy trial demands, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee said their trial would begin Oct. 23, but he seemed skeptical of prosecutors’ arguments that all 19 defendants could be tried together that soon. The judge said Chesebro and Powell would be tried together starting on the Oct. 23 trial date already set for Chesebro to comply with their demands for a speedy trial. Four other defendants who are also seeking to move their cases to federal court have hearings set before Jones later this month. Whenever and wherever any trial in the case ultimately takes place, jury selection is likely to be a challenge. Jury selection in a racketeering and gang case brought last year by Willis began in January and is still ongoing.

Persons: Donald Trump, Kenneth Chesebro, Sidney Powell, Scott McAfee, ”, Nathan Wade, Fani Willis, Chesebro, Powell, Scott Grubman, “, Chesebro’s, ” Chesebro, Trump, Manny Arora, She’s, Brian Rafferty, they're, Will Wooten, Mark Meadows, Steve Jones, Jones, McAfee, Willis, Willis ’, aren’t Organizations: ATLANTA, YouTube, Trump, Chesebro, Georgia Republicans, Republican, White House, U.S, District, Atlanta Locations: Georgia, Fulton County, Coffee County

CNN —Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, who is presiding over the Georgia election subversion case against former President Donald Trump and 18 other co-defendants, will hold his first hearing Wednesday afternoon amid questions of how soon a trial could begin. The hearing could provide key insight into how much evidence Fulton County prosecutors have in their case against Trump and his allies who are accused of interfering in Georgia’s 2020 election results to try to flip the state away from Joe Biden. All 19 defendants charged in the sprawling Fulton County racketeering case – including Powell and Chesebro – have pleaded not guilty and waived their right to an in-person arraignment. Last week, Chesebro’s legal team filed a separate motion asking the Fulton County judge not to force him go to trial alongside his co-defendant Powell. Willis has said she wants to keep the case together and hold one massive trial for all the defendants beginning in October.

Persons: Scott McAfee, Donald Trump, Trump, Joe Biden, McAfee, Fani, Kenneth Chesebro, Sidney Powell, Powell, Chesebro, Chesebro –, isn’t, Willis Organizations: CNN, Trump Locations: Fulton County, Georgia, York, Fulton

☆ Clashes mount between Trump and his legal nemesis
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

A dramatic series of legal developments in the Fulton County, Georgia, investigation – in which Trump and 18 co-defendants are also awaiting trial – encapsulated the breadth of the former president’s legal exposure. And 61% of Republican-leaning adults said that Trump is facing so many charges largely because of political abuse of the justice system. Trump uses criminal plight to fire up supportersTrump continually dials up the heat, underscoring how his legal defense and presidential campaign have merged. Smith may remain the ex-president’s greatest threat as the prosecutor with the best chance to complete a case against Trump early in the election year. New charges were also filed against Trump aide Walt Nauta and Mar-a-Lago maintenance manager Carlos De Oliveira.

Persons: Jack Smith, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Smith, Trump, Mark Meadows, Fani Willis ’, Enrique Tarrio, Timothy Kelly, Tarrio, CNN Trump, Hunter, he’d, Tanya Chutkan, “, CNN’s Zachary Cohen, Paula Reid, Sidney Powell, Powell’s, Powell, Walt Nauta, Carlos De Oliveira Organizations: CNN, GOP, Trump, Trump White House, Republican, Republicans, Justice Department, Biden Locations: Florida, Washington, Fulton County , Georgia, Georgia, United States, Ukraine, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona

Two of Donald J. Trump’s co-defendants in the Georgia election-interference case will go to trial together on Oct. 23, a judge ruled on Wednesday. The defendants, Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro, had asked to be tried separately from one another. The ruling from Judge Scott McAfee of Fulton County Superior Court, however, is contingent on the case remaining in state court — a situation that could change if other defendants succeed at moving the case into a federal courtroom. Fani T. Willis, the district attorney of Fulton County, is still holding out hope that all 19 defendants in the racketeering case can be tried together. But during the hearing, Judge McAfee said he remained “very skeptical” that a single trial for all 19 defendants could work.

Persons: Donald J, Trump’s, Sidney Powell, Kenneth Chesebro, Scott McAfee, Fani, Willis, Judge McAfee, Powell, Chesebro Organizations: Fulton County Superior Court Locations: Georgia, Fulton County

☆ Trump Georgia election co-defendants Chesebro, Powell to be tried together Oct. 23, judge rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Former President Donald Trump speaks to the media at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport after surrendering at the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, Aug. 24, 2023. Judge Scott McAfee said that as of now, he plans to start trial for Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell on Oct. 23. McAfee left open the door — slightly — to grant a request by prosecutors to hold a joint trial for Trump and the 18 co-defendants in the case. I remain very skeptical," the judge said as he gave the Fulton County District Attorney's Office time to submit a legal brief justifying the joint trial. Earlier in the hearing, a prosecutor told McAfee that holding a joint trial for Trump and the other defendants would take four months to complete, with testimony from potentially more than 150 witnesses.

Persons: Donald Trump, Scott McAfee, Kenneth Chesebro, Sidney Powell, McAfee, I'm, … I'm Organizations: Hartsfield, Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Jail, Trump, Fulton County Superior, Attorney's Locations: Fulton, Atlanta, Georgia, Fulton County

Those charges center around a voting system breach in Coffee County, Georgia, a rural, Republican district that voted overwhelmingly for Trump in 2020. Willis’ indictment describes the breach, and Powell’s alleged involvement, as central to the broader conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia. Powell has also been identified by CNN as one of Trump’s un-indicted co-conspirators listed in Smith’s federal election indictment. New details about Smith’s ongoing investigation indicate federal prosecutors are scrutinizing a series of voting breaches following the 2020 election that state investigators have been probing for more than a year. Network of operativesIn addition, special counsel prosecutors have also heard from other witnesses about efforts to breach voting equipment in other states.

Persons: Jack Smith, indicting Donald Trump, Smith, Joe Biden, Sidney Powell, Powell’s, Powell, Fani Willis, Willis ’, Smith’s, Donald Trump, Al Drago, Biden, ”, Hugo Chavez, Bernie Kerik, Kerik, Tim Parlatore, Parlatore, Mike Ryan, Bill Bachenberg, Ryan, Bachenberg, Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman –, Jocelyn Benson, Benson, Stefanie Lambert, Nalio Chery, “, ” Benson, Lambert, Trump Organizations: Washington CNN, Trump, CNN, Biden, Republican, Republican National Committee, Bloomberg, Getty, The Coalition, Good Governance, Systems, Network, FBI, Smith’s, Michigan Michigan, Reuters, Pennsylvania, American, Pennsylvania Senate Locations: Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona, Atlanta, Coffee County , Georgia, Washington , DC, Republic, Coffee, Antrim County , Michigan, Coffee County, Detroit , Michigan, Dieu, Antrim County, Fulton County , Pennsylvania, Fulton County

CNN —Far-right TV network One America News and one of its on-air personalities settled a defamation lawsuit brought by a former executive at Dominion Voting Systems, the election technology company that was falsely accused of rigging the 2020 election, according to new court filings. By negotiating a deal with Coomer, OAN is resolving one of several pending lawsuits tied to the 2020 presidential election that could lead to dire financial consequences for the small network. The conspiracy-peddling channel still faces two blockbuster defamation suits from Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic, voting technology companies that OAN falsely claimed had rigged the election against Trump. As a correspondent for OAN, Rion has been at the forefront of the network’s pro-Trump propaganda, and she hosted a special called “Dominion-izing the Vote,” which promoted debunked conspiracies about the 2020 election results. In the wake of the 2020 election, Dominion, Smartmatic and Coomer have transformed from relatively unknown figures to prominent players in the effort to seek accountability for Trump’s election lies.

Persons: Eric Coomer, OAN, Chanel Rion, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, weren’t, Rion “, Coomer, —, Trump’s, Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell — haven’t, Rion, Coomer’s Organizations: CNN, America, Dominion Voting Systems, Dominion, Trump, Fox News Locations: Coomer’s Colorado

☆ One America News settles defamation lawsuit from a Dominion executive at the center of election conspiracy theories
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

He has also sued, in a separate lawsuit, conspiracy theorist and pillow salesman Mike Lindell. "They had no credible evidence of any 'Antifa conference call;' that Dr. Coomer was part of this purported call; or that Dr. Coomer committed election fraud. Coomer still has ongoing lawsuits against election conspiracy theoristsThe conspiracy theories, Coomer said in his lawsuit, led to "an onslaught of harassment and credible death threats issued against him." Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesCoomer filed his lawsuit separately from Dominion, which has separate pending lawsuits against OAN, Newsmax, Giuliani, and Powell. It was the first settlement from a news organization in a defamation lawsuit filed over 2020 election conspiracy theories.

Persons: OAN, Eric Coomer, Coomer, Donald Trump's, — OAN, Chanel Rion, Herring Networks —, Law360, OAN didn't, Trump's, Sidney Powell, Rudy Giuliani, Newsmax, Mike Lindell, Rion, Trump, OANN, Eric Coomer's, Drew Angerer, Giuliani, Powell Organizations: Dominion, Service, America, Network, Dominion Voting Systems, Court, White, Herring Networks, Inc, dba, News Network, Fox, Dominion Representatives, Coomer, OAN, Twitter, Fox News Locations: Wall, Silicon, Denver County, Colorado, Coomer, Dominion

Another has an ally in Congress vowing to support his legal defense. On Thursday, Trump’s legal team formally asked a judge to sever his case from his co-defendants who want a speedy trial, according to court filings. The prospect of a costly legal defense has prompted some defendants to find other ways to raise money. Paying the legal bills of his co-defendants in Georgia could help the former president keep them all unified as they fight the Fulton County charges. None of the defendants has pleaded guilty, but it is common for criminal defendants facing mounting legal bills to end their cases without the time-consuming costs of a trial.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Trump, Walt Nauta, Carlos De Oliveira, Newsmax, ” Trump's, Will Lanzoni, ” Trump, haven’t, Trump’s, Eric, Don Jr, Jenna Ellis, John Eastman, Mike Pence, Donald Trump, Jae C, AP Eastman, Jeffrey Clark, Cathy Latham, grumbling, Ellis, “, ” Ellis, Matt Schlapp’s, ” Schlapp, Al Drago, Ron DeSantis, isn’t MAGA, Jenna, –, Sidney Powell, Kenneth Chesebro, Fani Willis, Giuliani, Rudy Giuliani, Erik S, Shutterstock, Andrew Giuliani, Brian Tevis, It’s, I’ll, ” Tevis, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Chip Roy, Mark Meadows, ”, ” Roy, Roy, Harrison Floyd, Floyd –, ” Floyd, Ricky Fitchett, ZUMA, Floyd, Todd Harding, he’s, De Oliveira Organizations: CNN, Trump, Save, Save America PAC, AP, Justice Department, Trump Republican, Republican National Committee, Bloomberg, Getty, Florida Gov, Inc, Shutterstock CNN, Giuliani Defense, Texas Republican, Trump White House, Zuma, America, PAC Locations: Georgia, Fulton, Atlanta , Georgia, Los Angeles, Georgia The Georgia, Fulton County, York, Bedminster , New Jersey, New Jersey, Bedminster, Texas, Philadelphia

Jenna Ellis, a former lawyer for Trump who challenged the 2020 election results, also pleaded not guilty on Thursday. The 98-page Georgia indictment filed in mid-August charges Trump and 18 other defendants with a total of 41 criminal counts. The Georgia case is Trump's fourth indictment. He faces a New York state trial in March involving a hush money payment to a porn star and a federal trial in May in Florida for allegedly mishandling federal classified documents. Another indictment, in federal court in Washington, accuses him of illegally seeking to overturn his 2020 election defeat.

Persons: Donald Trump, mugshot, Trump, Joe Biden's, Kenneth Chesebro, Trump's, Sidney Powell, Trevian Kutti, Ray Smith, Jenna Ellis, Ellis, Kanishka Singh, Andrew Goudsward, Scott Malone, Howard Goller, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: U.S, Sheriff's, Washington Federal Inc, WASHINGTON, Former U.S, Fulton County, Fulton County Superior Court, Republican, House, Thomson Locations: Fulton, Atlanta , Georgia, U.S, Former, Georgia, Fulton County, Atlanta, New York, Florida, Washington

The plea means that Trump, the front-runner for the 2024 Republican nomination, will not appear in person in court next week to face the charges. The 98-page Georgia indictment filed in mid-August charges Trump and 18 other defendants with a total of 41 criminal counts. He faces a New York state trial in March involving a hush money payment to a porn star and a federal trial in May in Florida for allegedly mishandling federal classified documents. Another indictment, in Washington federal court, accuses him of illegally seeking to overturn his 2020 election defeat. Trump has pleaded not guilty in all criminal cases and could spend much of next year in court, even as he campaigns to retake the White House.

Persons: Donald Trump, mugshot, Trump, Joe Biden's, Trump's, Sidney Powell, Trevian Kutti, Ray Smith, Kanishka Singh, Scott Malone, Howard Goller Organizations: U.S, Sheriff's, Washington Federal, Former U.S, Fulton County Superior Court, Republican, Democratic, Fulton, House, Thomson Locations: Fulton, Atlanta , Georgia, U.S, Former, Georgia, Fulton County, New York, Florida, Washington

☆ Trump pleads not guilty in Georgia election subversion case
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Hannah Rabinowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Former President Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty in the sprawling Fulton County election interference case, according to a new court filing. Georgia law allows criminal defendants to waive their in-person appearance and enter a formal plea through court filings. His arraignment marks the fourth time that Trump has pleaded not guilty to criminal charges since leaving the presidency. In this case, Trump is charged with racketeering in his alleged efforts to upend the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia. Several of the former president’s co-defendants in have also waived their in-court appearances and have pleaded not guilty, including Sidney Powell and Trevian Kutti.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Sidney Powell, Trevian Kutti, Fani Willis Organizations: CNN, Trump, Fulton, Democrat Locations: Fulton, Georgia, Fulton County

☆ Trump asks to sever Georgia election case from co-defendants seeking speedy trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Former President Donald Trump is seeking to sever his criminal election interference case in Georgia from any of his 18 co-defendants who are demanding that the case proceed quickly to trial, a Thursday court filing showed. There are "substantial adverse procedural and substantive 'effects' President Trump would endure" if he is held to the same schedule, Sadow wrote. He is set to participate in another trial starting in late September in federal court in Florida. Trump has been charged with 91 total counts in four separate criminal cases as he campaigns for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. His lawyers in his two federal cases tried to push off his trial until after the November 2024 election.

Persons: Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Trump, Steven Sadow, Kenneth Chesebro, — Chesebro, Sidney Powell —, Chesebro, Sadow, Trump's, Fani Willis Organizations: Alabama GOP, Court, Trump, Computer, State Locations: Montgomery , Alabama, Georgia, Fulton County, Georgia's, Florida, Atlanta

☆ Trump co-defendant Powell pleads not guilty in Georgia election subversion case
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Jasper Ward | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Fulton County Sheriff's Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreWASHINGTON, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Attorney Sidney Powell, one of former U.S. President Donald Trump's 18 co-defendants in the Georgia 2020 election subversion case, has waived a formal arraignment and pleaded not guilty, a court filing on Tuesday showed. Other Trump allies, Trevian Kutti and Ray Smith, have also waived formal arraignment and entered not guilty pleas. The former president is scheduled to be arraigned on Sept. 6 as Fulton County prosecutors eye an October start to the trial. The latest charges marks Trump's fourth indictment since launching his reelection campaign for president. Reporting by Jasper Ward; Editing by Susan Heavey and Lisa ShumakerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sidney Powell, mugshot, Donald Trump, Donald Trump's, Trevian Kutti, Ray Smith, Joe Biden's, Jasper Ward, Susan Heavey, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Sheriff's, U.S, Trump, Fulton, Democratic, Thomson Locations: Fulton, Atlanta , Georgia, U.S, WASHINGTON, Georgia

☆ Trump Georgia prosecutor wants 'speedy trials' done together
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The Atlanta district attorney prosecuting the Georgia election interference case against former President Donald Trump and 18 others asked a judge Tuesday to order that defendants granted so-called speedy trials be tried together. Fulton County DA Fani Willis also asked Judge Scott McAfee to set a deadline for defendants in the case to file requests to sever their cases. McAfee has discretion on whether to sever the cases for separate trials. But defendants soon could make similar speedy trial requests, which would require their trials to begin by Nov. 3. In her court filing Tuesday, Willis said she opposed, "at this juncture," severing the cases of defendants so that they would be tried either in 19 separate trials or in smaller groups.

Persons: Donald Trump, Fani Willis, Judge Scott McAfee, McAfee, Kenneth Chesebro, Sidney Powell, Joe Biden, Willis, Powell's, Chesebro's Organizations: Trump Locations: Atlanta, Georgia, Fulton County, Georgia's

One of those cases, a civil trial in New York, threatens to cripple the former president's company, the Trump Organization . James is seeking $250 million in damages in the civil case. In July, the U.S. Department of Justice dropped a nearly three-year effort to protect Trump from civil liability in the suit. In May, three of Trump's children, Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, and Ivanka Trump, were dismissed as defendants from the case after Kaplan proposed that move. The payments were made shortly before the 2016 presidential election, in which Trump defeated Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Joe, Letitia James, Donald Trump Jr, Eric Trump, James, Kenneth Chesebro, Joe Biden, Trump's, Mark Meadows, Rudy Giuliani, Fani Willis, Willis, Sidney Powell, Jean Carroll, Carroll, Judge Lewis Kaplan, videophone, Roberta Kaplan, Ivanka Trump, Kaplan, Donald J, Jack Smith, unindicted, Smith, Tanya Chutkan, Stormy Daniels, Karen McDougal, Hillary Clinton, Michael Cohen, Alvin Bragg's, Cohen, Bragg, Walt Nauta, Carlos De Oliveira —, Nauta, De Oliveira Organizations: U.S, Atlanta Hartsfield, Jackson International Airport, GOP, Convention, Trump Organization, District of Columbia, DOJ, FBI, New York, Court New, Trump, Fulton County Superior Court, Fulton, Republican, Carroll, U.S . Department of Justice, Iowa, American Communications Network, Washington , D.C, Biden, Manhattan, Democratic, Daniels, Beach, White, Republican National Locations: Atlanta , Georgia, Milwaukee ., New York, Manhattan, Georgia, Atlanta, Fulton County, Washington ,, York, Fort Pierce , Florida

☆ US judge to set trial date for Trump over efforts to overturn 2020 election
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Sarah N. Lynch | Thomson Reuters | Sarah N. Lynch Is The Lead Reporter For Reuters Covering The U.S. Justice Department Out Of Washington | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Trump, who on Thursday appeared at a Georgia jail to face state criminal charges of trying to overturn his defeat there, is not expected to attend Monday's hearing. Trump has previously lashed out at U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, saying, without evidence, that she is biased against him. In Georgia, where Trump faces racketeering and other state charges related to his alleged efforts to overturn his 2020 presidential election defeat there, District Attorney Fani Willis has asked the court to set a March 4, 2024 date. Last week, a judge agreed to set a trial date of Oct. 23 for Trump co-defendant, attorney Kenneth Chesebro, after he requested a speedy trial. The judge has not yet set a trial date for the other defendants, though Sidney Powell, an attorney who advised Trump and promoted false fraud claims after the election, has also requested a speedy trial.

Persons: Donald Trump, Evelyn Hockstein, Donald Trump's, Jack Smith, Democrat Joe Biden, Trump, Tanya Chutkan, Chutkan, Leo Tolstoy's, Fani Willis, Kenneth Chesebro, Sidney Powell, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Smith, Sarah N, Lynch, Scott Malone, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Fair, REUTERS, Rights, Washington , D.C, Trump, Democrat, U.S, Washington, House, Attorney, White, Thomson Locations: Iowa, Des Moines , Iowa, U.S, Washington ,, Georgia, New York, Manhattan, Florida, New York , Florida, Washington

☆ Opinion | How Free Speech and Willful Blindness Will Play Out in the Trump Prosecution
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Burt Neuborne | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Since Mr. Trump is charged with, among other crimes, conspiracy to defraud the United States and to deprive people of the right to have their votes counted, Mr. Smith would clearly be right in arguing that the Alvarez decision doesn’t apply. Characterizing Mr. Trump’s words as “speech incident to criminal conduct” would neatly solve Mr. Smith’s First Amendment problem, but at a substantial cost to the prosecution. To win a conviction, the government must persuade 12 jurors to peer inside Mr. Trump’s head and find beyond a reasonable doubt that he knew he was lying when he claimed to be the winner of the 2020 election. If Mr. Trump actually believed his false assertions, his speech was not “incident to criminal conduct.”How can Mr. Smith persuade 12 jurors that no reasonable doubt exists that Mr. Trump knew he was lying? But there also will likely be evidence that fervent supporters of Mr. Trump’s efforts fed his narcissism with bizarre false tales of result-changing electoral fraud, and frivolous legal theories justifying interference with Mr. Biden’s certification as president-elect.

Persons: Smith, Mike Pence, Joe Biden, Trump, Alvarez, doesn’t, Smith’s, Trump’s, reams, Pence, Biden, Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, Jeffrey Clark, John Eastman Organizations: Justice Department, Justice Locations: United States

In the Georgia case, the question of whether to change the venue — a legal maneuver known as removal — matters because it would affect the composition of a jury. If the case stays in Fulton County, Ga., the jury will come from a bastion of Democratic politics where Mr. Trump was trounced in 2020. If the case is removed to federal court, the jury will be drawn from a 10-county region of Georgia that is more suburban and rural — and somewhat more Trump-friendly. Kenneth Chesebro, a lawyer who advised Mr. Trump after the 2020 election, has asked for a speedy trial, and the presiding state judge has agreed to it. In the separate federal election interference case Mr. Trump faces in Washington, D.C., his lawyers have asked that the trial start safely beyond November 2024 general election — in April 2026.

Persons: Trump, Kenneth Chesebro, Sidney Powell, John Eastman, Chesebro, Scott McAfee, Trump’s, — Organizations: Trump, Republican, Washington , D.C Locations: Georgia, Fulton County ,, —, Washington ,

As part of her request, Willis noted that one of the defendants, Kenneth Chesebro, sought a quick trial under Georgia’s Speedy Trial Act. Late Friday, another defendant, attorney Sidney Powell, also requested a speedy trial, according to a new filing. How does Georgia’s speedy trial law work? Under Georgia law, any criminal defendant has the right to demand a trial within weeks of being indicted. Lawyers for Trump told the judge that they oppose the proposed October 23 trial date, and will attempt to separate his Georgia case from Chesebro, who wanted to speed up the trial date.

Persons: Fani Willis, Willis, Kenneth Chesebro, Georgia’s, Sidney Powell, ”, Chesebro, Elie Honig, Andrew Fleischman Organizations: State, CNN, Trump Locations: Fulton County, Georgia, ” Georgia, Chesebro

☆ Analysis: Trump allies' push to move Georgia subversion trial could mean delays
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Tom Hals | Thomson Reuters | Tom Hals Is An Award-Winning Reporter With Years Of Experience Working In Asia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

No defendants have entered a plea in the Georgia case. The federal officer removal law protects people from state prosecution for carrying out official federal duties. Legal experts said the accused acts in the Georgia case are more plausibly related to official duties than the hush money payments in the New York case. Legal experts said Jones could allow the case to proceed in federal court and address immunity at a later hearing. If he determines immunity did not apply to the accused actions, the jury trial would take place in federal court, with the broader jury pool.

Persons: Donald Trump, Ray Smith, Rudy Giuliani, Jenna Ellis, Sidney Powell, Cathy Latham, Trump's, Mark Meadows, Meadows, firebrand Marjorie Taylor Greene, Joe Biden, Jeffrey Clark, David Shafer, Trump, Eric Segall, Fani Willis, Willis, Georgia's, Alvin Hellerstein, Steve Jones, Josh Blackman, Jones, Tom Hals, Noeleen Walder, Amy Stevens, Stephen Coates Organizations: Trump, Georgia Republican, Fulton County Superior Court, of Justice, Republican, Northern District of, Georgia State College of Law, Miami . Fulton, Prosecutors, U.S, U.S . Constitution, Circuit, Appeals, District, South Texas College of Law, Thomson Locations: Georgia, Fulton County, Meadows, Shafer, Northern District, Northern District of Georgia, New York, Washington, Miami ., Miami . Fulton County, United States, U.S ., Manhattan's, Atlanta, Wilmington , Delaware

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