Georgia election case: Trump, other 18 defendants surrender to authorities
Former President Trump was processed and released on bail.
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.
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Mug shots released of first 6 defendants processed
Authorities have released mug shots of the first six defendants to surrender in the election interference case.
The Fulton County Sheriff's Office released mug shots taken of attorneys John Eastman and Kenneth Chesebro, former Georgia GOP chair David Shafer, former Coffee County GOP chair Cathy Latham, Georgia lawyer Ray Smith III and Georgia bail bondsman Scott Hall.
All six have been processed at the Fulton County Jail and released on bail.
Willis opposes Meadows' motion to move case to federal court
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has responded to Mark Meadows' emergency motion to prevent his arrest and remove his case to federal court, arguing that the former Trump chief of staff's arguments are "baseless and in direct contravention with the requirements of the law."
"In essence, the defendant's emergency motion is a plea to this Court to prevent the defendant from being arrested on the charges lawfully brought by the State of Georgia," the response said, highlighting that Meadows had previously requested additional time to surrender on two occasions.
Willis argued that Meadows' removal motion only entitles him to an evidentiary hearing, which is already set for August 28; otherwise, criminal proceedings in the case, including his surrender, can continue as planned, the response said.
Meadows last week filed a motion to move his case on the basis of a federal law that he argued requires the removal of criminal proceedings brought in state court to the federal court system when someone is charged for actions they allegedly took as a federal official acting "under color" of their office.
Among other allegations, the DA's indictment says Meadows traveled to Cobb County Center and "attempted to observe the signature match audit being performed by law enforcement officers and officials from the Georgia Secretary of State despite the fact that the process was not open to the public" and that he sent a text message to a state investigator on Dec. 27, 2020, asking if there was a way to "speed up" results ahead of Jan. 6, "in furtherance of the conspiracy."
DA opposes Jeffrey Clark's motion for emergency stay
District Attorney Fani Willis is contesting former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark's request for an emergency stay of the Fulton County proceedings.
Clark had filed a motion in federal court Tuesday seeking an emergency stay of the proceedings, including his arrest warrant, until after Labor Day, so a judge could rule on his motion to remove his case to federal court.
In a filing today, Willis wrote that Clark "seeks to avoid the inconvenience and unpleasantness of being arrested ... but provides this court with no legal basis to justify those ends."
Clark has filed a separate motion seeking to remove his case to federal court on the basis that he was serving as a high-ranking DOJ official during the timeframe alleged in the DA's indictment. Former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows and former Georgia GOP chair David Shafer have also filed similar motions.
Clark is accused in the indictment of making false statements to senior DOJ officials "urging the officials to let him convey the false information to Georgia State Officials" that the DOJ had "identified significant concerns that may have impacted the outcome of the election in multiple states, including the State of Georgia."
Giuliani surrenders for processing
Former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani has surrendered at the Fulton County Jail for processing, according to online records.
Bail for the former New York City mayor was set at $150,000 earlier Wednesday.
He faces 13 counts related to efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.
All 19 defendants have surrendered
Chicago pastor Stephen Lee has turned himself in to authorities at the Fulton County Jail in the DA's sweeping racketeering case.
With Lee's surrender, all 19 defendants in the case have turned themselves in for processing before the noon deadline that had been set by the DA.
Lee is accused in the DA's indictment of trying to strong-arm election worker Ruby Freeman, who was falsely accused of stealing ballots.