Coming tomorrow: the state Senate Special Committee on Investigations continues its probe of Fulton DA #FaniWillis with a second hearing. This one features testimony from two senior Fulton officials, including county commission Chairman Robb Pitts
Two months ago, the panel heard testimony from Ashleigh Merchant, the defense attorney who's been leading the effort to remove Willis from the election interference case #TrumpIndictment
#Trump on Wednesday asked a judge to dismiss two more felony counts against him in the Fulton County election interference case, arguing the alleged criminal conduct has to do with federal, not state, law #Georgia#TrumpIndictment#legal
Judge Aileen #Cannon has partially granted special counsel #JackSmith's motion to redact the names of government witnesses in the classified #documents case.
But Cannon won't make it easy: Smith will still have to justify to the court each name redaction. #legal#TrumpIndictment#Trump
Judge #Cannon sets a motions hearing for April 19 in Ft. Pierce. She’ll hear argument on several of De Oliveira and Nauta’s motions to dismiss/motions for a bill of particulars. #legal#TrumpIndictment#Trump
"Donald Trump is hurtling toward a critical deadline in his most costly legal battle to date. If the former president doesn’t come up with a financial guarantee by Monday, New York’s attorney general can start the process of collecting on the more than $454 million Trump owes the state in a civil fraud lawsuit."
"The judge in the Georgia election interference case against Donald Trump and others said Friday that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis must step aside from Trump case or remove the special prosecutor with whom she had a romantic relationship before case can proceed."
Judge #Cannon tells #Trump lawyer Todd Blanche his argument that the classified #documents case is the fault of the National Archives is a "red herring."
"NARA is not sitting at the table over there," she added.
Cannon says she'll rule "promptly."
"The state judge presiding over Donald Trump’s criminal case in Georgia has thrown out six of the indictment’s 41 charges, ruling that the state had failed to make specific enough allegations to support them."
@politico reports: "The ruling affects three of the 13 felony counts Trump faces in the case, though not the central charge of a racketeering conspiracy aimed at overturning the results of the 2020 presidential election in the state."
“Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee wrote Wednesday in an order that six of the charges in the indictment must be quashed, including three against #Trump. But the order leave intact many other charges in the indictment and the judge wrote that prosecutors could seek a new indictment on the charges he dismissed.” #Georgia#legal#TrumpIndictment
Some of these excuses are running thin. #Trump lawyer Chris Kise, for example, lives in #Florida, as does Sasha Dadan, FL counsel for Walt Nauta.
Katie Phang:
NEW: All of the MAL defendants seek an extension of time to file certain Reply briefs to various Oppositions filed by Special Counsel that responded to Defendants’ multiple motions to dismiss.
When #Cannon asked Smith team how many potential indivs are on govt’s witness list, asst spec counsel David Harbach, after briefly consulting w counsel, replied initial list supplied was “80-something"
Cannon replied she remembered 87 appearing on proposed list. Harbach cont'd that their estimate for trial would be “somewhere in neighborhood of 40,” roughly 25 of whom would be redacted.
Update from Ft. Pierce: Judge #Cannon did not set a trial date for the classified documents case during the morning session of the scheduling conference.
But she told prosecutors for the special counsel that their proposed July trial date is “unrealistic.”
“#Trump is expected to be in attendance Monday in #Florida when Judge Aileen #Cannon presides over a hearing in his classified #documents case in which attorneys will address issues surrounding the classified materials in question.
The hearings will be under seal & held in a SCIF -- a specially-equipped secure room for viewing highly classified materials -- located in Fort Pierce, Florida” #legal#TrumpIndictment
BREAKING: Bank records show that special prosecutor Nathan Wade purchased airline tickets in his and #Fulton County DA #FaniWillis’ name for trips to San Francisco and Miami
The info was contained in Nathan Wade's credit card statements, which were incl in a filing from his wife on Fri as part of their divorce case.
The filing appears to bolster allegations of a romantic relationship between Nathan Wade and DA Willis #legal#Georgia#TrumpIndictment
“A state judge overseeing the election-interference case against Trump in #Georgia has scheduled a hearing for Feb. 15 to hear evidence regarding accusations that #FaniWillis & her lead prosecutor engaged in an improper relationship and mishandled public money.
Judge Scott McAfee also wrote in his order that Willis must respond to the accusations in writing by Feb. 2” #TrumpIndictment
👀 “Trump signals intent to block testimony in Jeff Clark disciplinary proceedings..to shield key Trump ally from losing his law license over efforts to subvert election”
In case you ever had an inkling of a germ of a doubt...🤬
Via Joyce Vance:
In the Mar-a-Lago case, Judge #Cannon has just refused to enforce a routine deadline & it's entirely clear she has no intention of letting this case go to trial before the election or possibly ever. #TrumpIndictment#Documents#legal
FYI: #MSNBC will air this live in minutes, audio only.
Trump’s only there for 2 reasons: To show how aggrieved he is and to use the photo opp to spew more lies and smears to incite his base… all to get votes to stay out of prison.
Why hasn’t this major topic been covered by news outlets? It’s bizarre.
Here’s the latest.
Via Scott MacFarlane:
ALERT: DC federal judges have indefinitely postponed sentencing hearings for TWO MORE #Jan6 defendants, citing Supreme Court decision to review Jan 6 "obstruction of official proceeding" charge #legal#TrumpIndictment#SCOTUS
JUST IN: #Trump urges #SupremeCourt to reject #JackSmith's motion for expedited consideration of the immunity appeal. His lawyers say Smith has no standing and his petition should be denied.
The basis for that argument is that Smith won the district court's ruling & per Trump, has no basis to appeal the favorable result. They're asking SCOTUS to let the appeals court process play out first, which would surely slow things down by weeks
See how heartfelt they are? You can almost hear their regretful snickers, er, tears... 🤦🏻♀️
Via Tamar Hallerman:
Two of the apology letters in the #Fulton Trump case - from Ken Chesebro and Sidney Powell and obtained by the AJC - were handwritten and just one line long. #Georgia#legal#TrumpIndictment