Defendants in Fulton County election case begin surrendering ahead of Friday deadline

ATLANTA— Eight of the 19 defendants charged with alleged interference with the 2020 presidential election in Georgia have now been booked at the Fulton County Jail.

John Eastman and Scott Hall are among the defendants charged in the Georgia RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) Act case. They surrendered to authorities at the Fulton County Jail on Tuesday.

Former Georgia GOP chairman David Shafer and former Coffee County GOP chair Cathy Latham were booked at the jail early Wednesday, as did lawyers Ray Smith and Kenneth Chesebro, who prosecutors helped organize the meeting of “fake electors” at the state capitol in December 2020. Chesebro faces seven charges and agreed to a $100,000 bond. Smith also faces 12 charges. His bond was set at $50,000.

Eastman was released from the Fulton County Jail on a $100,000 bail and Hall was released on $10,000 bail; Latham and Shafer were both released on a $75,000 bond each.

Trump’s former attorney Rudy Giuliani turned himself in on charges in Fulton County Wednesday after his bond was set at $150,000.

Attorney Sidney Powell was also booked Wednesday on RICO charges. Her bond was set for $100,000.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis gave all defendants until Friday, Aug. 25 to surrender at the jail. Former President Donald Trump, one of the defendants charged, is reportedly planning to surrender Thursday.

Eastman was an attorney for Trump in 2020 when he allegedly wrote a memo arguing that Trump could remain in power if then-Vice President Mike Pence overturned the results of the election during a joint session of Congress where electoral votes would be counted, according to the Associated Press. That plan included putting in place “alternate electors” in Georgia and other states to falsely certify that Trump had won their states.

Hall, an Atlanta-area bail bondsman, was allegedly involved in taking information from voting machines Coffee County, Georgia.

A copy of a false electors certification document shows that Latham and Shafer were among 16 Republicans who signed the certificate falsely asserting that Trump won the state despite then-Democrat presidential nominee Joe Biden receiving a close majority of the state’s vote in the November 2020 presidential election.

All defendants entered in to bond orders and stipulations earlier this week after negotiations between the Willis’ office and each of their attorneys.

It is expected that the remaining 15 defendants named in the Aug. 14 indictment will surrender by Friday, Aug. 25.

According to a consent bond order filed Aug. 21 in Fulton County Superior Court, bond for Trump’s 13 felony charges is $200,000.

Mark Meadows, Trump’s former chief of staff, was also among the 19 defendants indicted for attempting to subvert Georgia’s 2020 election results.

Lawyers for Meadows have filed a motion to transfer the case from state court to federal court. A federal judge is set to hear arguments on the matter on Aug. 28.

Trump allegedly led unfounded claims of widespread election fraud following his loss to Democrat Joe Biden, and allegedly pressured state officials to overturn the election.

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