A flurry of Trump allies head to the Georgia prison to turn themselves in before Friday deadline in election fraud case: Ken Chesebro and Ray Smith LATEST co-defendants to be arrested
A flood of Trump allies head to Georgia jail to turn themselves in before Friday’s deadline in an election fraud case: Ken Chesebro and Ray Smith NEWEST co-defendants arrested
- Georgia-based attorney Ray Smith and Trump campaign attorney Ken Chesebro were booked Wednesday
- Former Georgia GOP Chairman and State Legislator David Shafer and former Coffee County GOP Chairman Cathy Latham have also turned themselves in
- Trump will hand himself over to authorities on Thursday
Four more defendants in the Georgian investigation into Donald Trump’s plot to overturn the election have turned themselves over to Fulton County Jail, where they were arrested Wednesday morning.
Georgia-based attorney Ray Smith and Trump campaign attorney Ken Chesebro were booked Wednesday. Chesebro’s bail was set at $100,000, Smith’s at $50,000, and both were released from jail about two hours after arriving.
Former Georgia GOP chairman and state legislator David Shafer and former Coffee County GOP chairman Cathy Latham also turned themselves in to the jail early Wednesday morning — both of their bonds were set at $75,000. They have since been released.
Trump campaign attorney Ken Chesebro was booked Wednesday. Chesebro’s bail was set at $100,000
Their arrests come after conservative attorney John Eastman and Atlanta bailiff Scott Hall surrendered to authorities on Tuesday. And at the decisive moment of the case, former President Trump will turn himself in to jail on Thursday.
Here is a summary of the allegations against the four final defendants:
Shafer’s role in the alleged scheme was to organize an unofficial list of voters after Joe Biden won in Georgia following the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Meanwhile, Latham is accused of allowing unauthorized forensic experts from SullivanStrickler to investigate voting machines in Coffee County, where she was chairman of the Republican Party. It is believed that the pundits illegally downloaded data from Dominion voting machines on Trump’s behalf.
Smith is accused of advising the deputies who gathered in the capitol and voted for Trump and signed documents falsely claiming that Trump had won the election. Smith also reportedly sent a letter and submitted affidavits to Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger endorsing Trump as the winner.
Smith also appeared shortly after the election before a Senate subcommittee investigating allegations of voter fraud, alleging that 130,000 illegal votes had been cast.
Chesebro reportedly helped coordinate the 16 Republicans in Georgia who signed a certificate claiming Trump had won and declaring themselves among the state’s “duly elected and qualified” voters.
Meanwhile, high-profile Trump attorney Sidney Powell has bail set at $100,000, but she hasn’t handed herself over to authorities yet.
Trump announced on Wednesday that he would be “proudly” arrested on Thursday.
“NO ONE HAS EVER FIGHTED FOR ELECTION INTEGRITY LIKE PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP,” the former president wrote on his Truth Social account.
“Because I do, I will be proudly arrested tomorrow afternoon in Georgia. GOD BLESS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!!” he wrote on Truth Social.
Georgia-based attorney Ray Smith was also booked Wednesday — posting $50,000 bail
Trump attorney Kenneth Chesebro (left, circled, wearing red MAGA hat) films Alex Jones (center) and the surrounding crowd outside the Capitol in Washington. D.C., on January 6, 2021
The arrests come after conservative lawyer John Eastman and Atlanta bailiff Scott Hall surrendered to authorities on Tuesday.
Trump and his 18 co-defendants were charged on Aug. 14 with trying to overturn Georgia’s 2020 presidential election, and were given noon Friday to sign themselves up for booking.
On Monday, the 77-year-old’s bail was set at $200,000 and he was ordered not to send threatening messages on social media.
Sheriff’s deputies stepped up security and erected barriers around the dilapidated prison on Monday when his legal team was spotted entering District Attorney Fani Willis’ office.
Fulton County authorities said he cannot expect special treatment.
He will have to be fingerprinted, as with other suspects in the notorious prison, and for the first time in his four charges, his mugshot can be taken.
The prison is known for its appalling conditions, although Trump will not be held there pending trial.