ATLANTA— On Tuesday, a judge in Atlanta is scheduled to consider arguments regarding a plea to revoke the bond of one of Donald Trump’s co-defendants in the Georgia case related to attempts to overturn the 2020 election.
Last week, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis filed a motion urging county Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee to revoke Harrison Floyd’s bond. In her motion, Willis claimed that Floyd violated the terms of his release by attempting to intimidate and contact potential witnesses and co-defendants.
Floyd’s attorneys countered in a court filing, asserting that Willis’ allegations lack merit and that the motion is a retaliatory measure against their client. They argued that Floyd did not threaten or intimidate anyone and did not communicate with witnesses or co-defendants, either directly or indirectly.
McAfee has scheduled a hearing on Willis’ motion for Tuesday afternoon.
The charges against Floyd stem from allegations of harassment towards Ruby Freeman, a Fulton County election worker falsely accused of election fraud by Trump and his supporters. The indictment alleges that Floyd participated in a January 4, 2021, conversation pressuring Freeman to lie about participating in election fraud.
Floyd, a leader in the organization Black Voices for Trump, was among the 18 individuals charged alongside Trump in a sprawling August indictment. The indictment accuses them of engaging in a broad scheme to illegally maintain the Republican incumbent in power after he lost the presidential election to Democrat Joe Biden.
While four defendants have pleaded guilty and agreed to testify, Trump and the others have pleaded not guilty. No trial date has been set, but Willis has requested McAfee to set it for August 5, 2024.
Floyd was the sole defendant to spend time in jail after his indictment, as he did not reach a bond agreement before surrendering at the Fulton County Jail. His release conditions prohibit direct or indirect communication about the case with co-defendants or witnesses.
In her motion to revoke Floyd’s bond, Willis cited several social media posts made by Floyd in the previous weeks, including repeated attacks on Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and mentions of Freeman, both potential witnesses. Floyd’s attorneys argued that his posts, protected by the First Amendment, do not violate bond conditions and that Willis is retaliating against him for rejecting a plea offer and subpoenaing election records.
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