John Eastmanthe conservative lawyer who promoted a scheme to keep Donald Trump in power, turned himself in to authorities Tuesday on charges in the Georgian case alleging an illegal plot to annul the former president’s electoral defeat in 2020.
Eastman was booked into the Fulton County Jail and is expected to have an arraignment in the coming weeks in the sprawling extortion case.
Was accused last week along with Trump and 17 others, named by District Attorney Fani Willis of conspire to subvert the will of Georgia voters in a desperate attempt to keep Joe Biden outside the White House. It was the fourth criminal case filed against the former Republican president.
Trump, whose bond was set at $200,000 on Monday, has said he will turn himself in to Fulton County authorities on Thursday.
The conditions of your bail forbid intimidating co-defendants, witnesses, or victims in the case, including on social media. He has a history of attacking prosecutors handling cases against him, including Willis.
Eastman said in a statement provided by his lawyers that he was turning himself in Tuesday “to an indictment that should never have been filed.” He criticized the prosecution for targeting “lawyers for their fervent advocacy on behalf of their clients” and said each of the 19 defendants had the right to rely on the advice of lawyers and prior legal precedent in challenging the election results.
Who is John Eastman?
Eastman, former dean of the Law School of the chapma universityn in Southern California, he was a close adviser to Trump in the run-up to the January 6, 2021 attack at the United States Capitol by supporters of the president, with the intention of stopping the certification of Biden’s electoral victory.
He wrote a memo outlining steps Vice President Mike Pence could take to stop the electoral vote count while presiding over the joint session of Congress on Jan. 6 to keep Trump in office.
After the 2020 election, Eastman and others pushed to establish a list of “alternative” voters who falsely certified that Trump won and tried to pressure Pence to reject or delay counting legitimate electoral votes for Biden, a Democrat.
Bail bondsman Scott Hall, who was accused of participating in an election equipment rape in rural Coffee County, Georgia, also turned himself in to the Fulton County Jail Tuesday.
Two other defendants, former Justice Department attorney Jeffrey Clark and former Georgia Republican Party Chairman David Shafer, have filed papers to transfer the case to federal court.
Willis filed papers in Fulton County Superior Court, where the indictment was filed, seeking a March 4 trial date. Legal maneuvering, such as attempts to move the case to federal court, could make it difficult to start a trial so soon.
Clark’s attorneys argued in their court filing Monday that he was a high-ranking Justice Department official and that the actions described in the indictment “relate directly to his work at the Justice Department, as well as to the former president of the United States”.
Shafer’s lawyers argued that his conduct “derived directly from his service as a candidate for presidential elector,” actions they say were “at the direction of the President and other federal officials.”
Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows made similar arguments last week in a federal court filing, saying his actions were taken in the service of his White House role. A judge has scheduled a hearing for Monday in that case.
Attorneys for Meadows and Clark filed motions to prevent their clients from having to turn themselves in to the Fulton County Jail before a noon deadline Friday.
Clark’s motion sought to stay any proceedings in Fulton County Superior Court, while Meadows’ motion asks the judge to immediately rule that his case can be moved to federal court or issue an order prohibiting Willis from arresting him before the hearing on Monday. US District Judge Steve Jones gave Willis’s office until 3 pm Wednesday to respond to both motions.
Meadows’ motion says that before going to court, her lawyers asked Willis for an extension, but she denied that request, saying in an email Tuesday that at 12:30 p.m. ”.
Clark was a strong supporter of Trump’s false claims of voter fraud and in December 2020 submitted to his colleagues a draft of a letter urging Georgia officials to call a special legislative session on the election results, according to testimony before the committee of the US House of Representatives that investigated the events of January 6. Riots at the Capitol. Clark wanted the letter sent, but Justice Department superiors refused.
Shafer was one of 16 Georgia Republicans who signed a certificate falsely stating that Trump had won the 2020 presidential election in the state and declaring the electors “duly chosen and qualified” even though Biden had won the state and a certified vote was issued. Democratic voters list.
Bail bonds for detainees and defendants
Shafer was one of several defendants whose attorneys negotiated bond amounts with the district attorney’s office Tuesday. His bail was set at $75,000.
Bail was set at $100,000 for Jenna Ellis, an attorney who prosecutors say was involved in efforts to convince state lawmakers to illegally nominate presidential electors.
Bail was set at $50,000 for Michael Roman, a former White House aide who served as director of Trump’s election day operations and was involved in efforts to produce a set of fake voters after the election. 2020.
Robert Cheeley, a lawyer accused of helping to organize the fake voters rally at the state Capitol in December 2020 and then lying about what he knew before a special grand jury, was set on $14,000 bail.
Bail was set at $10,000 for Shawn Still, another of the fake voters who was elected to the Georgia state Senate in November 2022 and represents a district in suburban Atlanta. Cathy Latham, another fake voter who is also accused of participating in an election equipment rape in Coffee County, has been set on $75,000 bail.
Stephen Cliffgard Lee, a pastor who prosecutors say worked with others to pressure a Fulton County poll worker, was held on $75,000 bond.
2023-08-23 04:07:39
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