Fulton County DA Fani Willis rejects proposal to delay surrender for Mark Meadows

(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

The first of Trump’s co-defendants in Fulton County, Georgia began to turn themselves in on Tuesday. Also on Tuesday, Trump’s former chief of staff received the news that Fulton County D.A. Fani Willis rejected his request to delay his surrender.

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Attorneys for Mark Meadows argued that he was different than the other co-defendants because he is a former federal official, who has a pending notice of removal that is set to be heard on Monday. Willis responded by saying that Meadows is no different than any other criminal defendant in the jurisdiction.

Attorneys for Meadows state that they offered to meet with Willis immediately after Monday’s hearing in federal court to discuss the best path forward based on the outcome of the hearing, including a surrender in Fulton County. On Tuesday morning, Willis rejected the proposal in an email.

“I am not granting any extensions. I gave 2 weeks for people to surrender themselves to the court. Your client is no different than any other criminal defendant in this jurisdiction,” Willis said in the email. “The two weeks was a tremendous courtesy. At 12:30 p.m. on Friday I shall file warrants in the system. My team has availability to meet to discuss reasonable consent bonds Wednesday and Thursday.”

U.S. District Court Judge Steve Jones scheduled a hearing for Meadows’ request to move his case to federal court on August 28. Tuesday Meadows filed an emergency motion in federal court asking for immediate removal of his case to federal court.

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No one should be surprised that Willis doesn’t want to work with any of the co-defendants, especially a big name like Mark Meadows. Willis has been playing hardball all along and isn’t showing any signs of letting up now.

The first co-defendant to turn himself in was Scott Hall, a bondsman who was out on a $10,000 bond. He turned himself in Tuesday morning. He spent hours in the Fulton County Jail before he was released.

The next to surrender to authorities was John Eastman, a former Trump campaign attorney. He also turned himself in Tuesday morning and was released hours later. His bond is $100,000.

“I’m confident that when the law is faithfully applied in this proceeding, all of my codefendants and I will be fully vindicated,” Eastman told reporters outside the jail after being released.

Police chaplain Stephen Cliffgard Lee was granted bond Tuesday afternoon. He is from Illinois and was allegedly involved in an effort to intimidate poll worker Ruby Freeman. He was granted a $75,000 bond.

Alpharetta attorney Bob Cheeley was granted a $50,000 bond Tuesday afternoon after being indicted last week.

Former Trump campaign official, Mike Roman, was indicted last week. He was granted a $50,000 bond Tuesday.

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Jenna Ellis’s attorneys met with the Fulton County D.A.’s office. She was granted a $100,000 bond. Ellis was an attorney with the Trump campaign.

The former chairwoman of the Coffee County Republican Party and a Republican elector, Cathy Latham, was granted a $75,000 bond Tuesday. She tried to cast Georgia’s presidential votes for Trump.

More co-defendants have to turn themselves in by noon Friday. This list isn’t finished.

I wonder if Trump will be given the same treatment as some like Eastman and Scott Hall who were kept in jail for two or more hours. I hope it is part of the arrangement his attorneys worked out that he doesn’t have to do that. It’s enough that he is having a mugshot taken. That’s just to humiliate him – who needs a mugshot to identify Donald Trump? No one in the world. We’ll know on Thursday when Trump turns himself in to be processed.

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