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Georgia election case: Trump, other 18 defendants surrender to authorities

PHOTO: Former President Donald Trump arrives to speak at the Moms for Liberty meeting in Philadelphia, June 30, 2023.
2:30
Matt Rourke/AP, FILE
Trump surrenders in Georgia election case
By Olivia Rubin, Will Steakin, Peter Charalambous, Laura Romero, Luke Barr
Last Updated: August 25, 2023, 9:14 PM

Former President Donald Trump and the 18 other defendants charged by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis for their alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia all surrendered to authorities at the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta.

Trump and 17 other defendants were processed and released on bail, with one defendant held without bond. Several defendants also mounted legal challenges to the DA's case.

Top headlines:

  • Harrison Floyd still being held after judge denies bail
  • All 19 defendants have surrendered
  • Trump's mug shot released
  • Trump booked, released from Fulton County Jail
  • Trump opposes DA's motion for October trial date
Here's how the news developed. All times Eastern.

Aug 25, 2023 9:14 PM

Harrison Floyd still being held after judge denies bail

A judge has denied bond for defendant Harrison Floyd, which means the Black Voices for Trump member will likely stay in the Fulton County Jail through the weekend.

Floyd, who is accused in the DA's indictment of helping strong-arm election worker Ruby Freeman, is the only defendant being held in custody after the other 18 defendants were processed and released on bail this week.

Superior Court Judge Emily Richardson, in a hearing Friday afternoon, denied Floyd's bond due to what she said was his "risk to commit additional felonies and potential risks to flee the jurisdiction."

PHOTO: Harrison Floyd is shown in a police booking mugshot released by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office, Atlanta, Aug. 24, 2023.
Fulton County Sheriff's Office/via Reuters
Harrison Floyd is shown in a police booking mugshot released by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office, after a Grand Jury brought back indictments against former President Donald Trump and 18 of his allies in their attempt to overturn the state's 2020 election results in Atlanta, Aug. 24, 2023.
Fulton County Sheriff's Office/via Reuters

Floyd was the only defendant who surrendered without a pre-negotiated bond, resulting in the Fulton County Sheriff's office taking him into custody Thursday afternoon.

Floyd was charged in May with simple assault of a federal officer after prosecutors say he struck an FBI agent who was attempting to serve him a subpoena to appear before a grand jury in a separate case.

"I do find that based on an open charge against you, there are grounds for bond to be denied at this point," Judge Richardson told Floyd. She said Judge Scott McAfee would reconsider bond during Floyd's next hearing.


Aug 25, 2023 5:03 PM

Final 2 mug shots released by sheriff's office

The Fulton County Sheriff's Office has released mug shots of the final two defendants to surrender for processing.

Chicago pastor Stephan Lee is alleged in the DA's indictment to have traveled to the home of election worker Ruby Freeman "with intent to influence her testimony" after Freeman was falsely accused of stealing ballots.

Trump staff member Michael Roman allegedly worked to commit acts "in furtherance of the conspiracy," according to the indictment.

PHOTO: Stephen Cliffgard Lee is seen in a mugshot provided by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office in Georgia, Aug. 25, 2023.
Fulton County Sheriff's Office
Stephen Cliffgard Lee is seen in a mugshot provided by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office in Georgia, Aug. 25, 2023.
Fulton County Sheriff's Office

PHOTO: Michael Roman is seen in a mugshot provided by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office in Georgia, Aug. 25, 2023.
Fulton County Sheriff's Office
Michael Roman is seen in a mugshot provided by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office in Georgia, Aug. 25, 2023.
Fulton County Sheriff's Office

Aug 25, 2023 4:04 PM

Sheriff's office releases 5 more mug shots

The Fulton County Sheriff's Office has released mug shots of five of the final seven defendants to turn themselves in for processing.

The mug shots released were of former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark, Georgia state Sen. Shawn Still, former Coffee County elections director Misty Hampton, Georgia lawyer Robert Cheeley and publicist Trevian Kutti.

PHOTO: Caption: Jeffrey Clark is seen in a mugshot provided by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office in Georgia, Aug. 25, 2023.
Fulton County Sheriff's Office
Jeffrey Clark is seen in a mugshot provided by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office in Georgia, Aug. 25, 2023.
Fulton County Sheriff's Office

PHOTO: Shawn Still is seen in a mugshot provided by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office in Georgia, Aug. 25, 2023.
Fulton County Sheriff's Office
Shawn Still is seen in a mugshot provided by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office in Georgia, Aug. 25, 2023.
Fulton County Sheriff's Office

PHOTO: Misty Hampton is seen in a mugshot provided by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office in Georgia, Aug. 25, 2023.
Fulton County Sheriff's Office
Misty Hampton is seen in a mugshot provided by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office in Georgia, Aug. 25, 2023.
Fulton County Sheriff's Office
PHOTO: Robert Cheeley is seen in a mugshot provided by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office in Georgia, Aug. 25, 2023.
Fulton County Sheriff's Office
Robert Cheeley is seen in a mugshot provided by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office in Georgia, Aug. 25, 2023.
Fulton County Sheriff's Office

PHOTO: Trevian Kutti is seen in a mugshot provided by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office in Georgia, Aug. 25, 2023.
Fulton County Sheriff's Office
Trevian Kutti is seen in a mugshot provided by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office in Georgia, Aug. 25, 2023.
Fulton County Sheriff's Office


Aug 25, 2023 3:49 PM

4th defendant seeks to move case to federal court

Shawn Still, a recently elected Georgia state senator who was one of the so-called "fake electors" accused in the DA's indictment of working to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia, has filed a motion seeking to move his case to federal court -- making him the fourth defendant in the case to do so.

Former Trump Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, former DOJ official Jeffrey Clark, and former Georgia GOP chair David Shafer all previously filed their own motions seeking removal to federal court.

Although Still is not a federal official, his motion argues that he "was acting, or was acting under, an officer of the United States" in his role as an alternate elector -- a similar argument to Shafer's motion.

"That is, the role of presidential elector is a federal one -- created and directed by the United States Constitution and Congress. Thus, Mr. Still, acting as a presidential elector, was a federal officer," Still's filing says.

Still's filing also argues that he was following the advice of authorities on the matter, saying, "Mr. Still, as a presidential elector, was also acting at the direction of the incumbent President of the United States. The President's attorneys instructed Mr. Still and the other contingent electors that they had to meet and cast their ballots on December 14, 2020, in order to preserve the presidential election contest."

Still is charged with eight counts in the indictment, including impersonating a public officer and forgery in the first degree.


Aug 23, 2023 1:04 PM

Bond set for more than half of defendants

Attorney John Eastman was booked and released on $100,000 bond Tuesday at the Fulton County Jail, as the 18 defendants charged alongside former President Trump in the sweeping Georgia election interference racketeering case began turning themselves in.

Eastman told reporters on his way out of the facility that he plans to "vigorously contest every count of the indictment."

Co-defendant Scott Hall was also processed and released Tuesday, one day after Judge McAfee set his bail at $10,000. Hall, a Georgia bail bondsman, is among those accused of conspiring to commit election fraud in Coffee County.

PHOTO: Scott Hall in a booking photo provided by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office, Aug. 22, 2023.
Fulton County Sheriff's Office via AP
Scott Hall in a booking photo provided by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office, Aug. 22, 2023. The bail bondsman, who was accused of participating in a breach of election equipment in rural Coffee County, Ga., turned himself in to the Fulton County Jail. Hall is charged alongside former President Donald Trump and 17 others, who are accused by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis of scheming to subvert the will of Georgia voters to keep the Republican president in the White House after he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.
Fulton County Sheriff's Office via AP

After an indictment has been handed down in Georgia, bond and conditions of release are typically worked out prior to any surrender. The bond can be paid through cash, a commercial surety, or a court program that requires a payment of 10% of the bond amount.

By the end of the day Tuesday, bond had been set for more than half of the 19 defendants in the case. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee set former Trump attorney Jenna Ellis' bail at $100,000, a day after he set former President Donald Trump's bond at $200,000.

Ellis is accused of making false statements to overturn the 2020 election and of soliciting public officials to unlawfully appoint presidential electors.

Later Tuesday the judge set bond for Stephen Lee, a pastor, at $75,000, and for Georgia lawyer Robert Cheeley at $50,000.

PHOTO: John Eastman in a booking photo provided by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office, Aug. 22, 2023.
Fulton County Sheriff's Office via AP
John Eastman in a booking photo provided by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office, Aug. 22, 2023. Eastman, the conservative attorney who pushed a plan to keep Donald Trump in power, turned himself in to authorities Tuesday on charges in the Georgia case alleging an illegal plot to overturn the former president's 2020 election loss.
Fulton County Sheriff's Office via AP

According to investigators, Cheeley presented video clips to legislators of election workers at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta and alleged that the workers were counting votes twice or sometimes three times. Prosecutors say Lee worked with others to try to pressure Georgia election worker Ruby Freeman and her daughter after Trump and his allies falsely accused them of pulling fraudulent ballots from a suitcase during the vote count.

McAfee also Tuesday set bail of $75,000 for former Coffee County GOP chair Cathy Latham, and $50,000 for former Trump campaign official Michael Roman.

Latham is one of 16 Georgia Republicans who signed a certificate falsely stating that Trump had won the state, while Roman served as director of Election Day operations for Trump's 2020 reelection campaign and was involved in the plan to organize the so-called "fake electors" in battleground states.

All 19 defendants have been been given until Friday at noon to surrender. Trump said Monday evening on his social media platform that he intends to surrender in Georgia on Thursday.

In addition to Trump, Judge McAfee set bond Monday for attorneys John Eastman and Kenneth Chesebro at $100,000, for Ray Smith III at $50,000, and for Scott Hall at $10,000.

All the defendants' bond agreements include a provision that they "shall perform no act to intimidate any person known to him or her to be a codefendant or witness in this case or to otherwise obstruct the administration of justice."


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