Trump's attorney attempts to quash indictments at hearing in Georgia election interference case

ATLANTA - Attorneys for former President Donald Trump and at least three of his co-defendants in the Georgia election interference racketeering case are appearing in a Fulton County courtroom on Friday afternoon.

Trump, former campaign attorney Ray Smith, attorney Robert Cheeley, and former Georgia GOP chair David Shafer have all filed multiple motions to quash some or all the indictments against them.

The Fulton County District Attorney’s Office has asked Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee to limit the hearing solely to the motions already filed after speculation more motions would attempt to be introduced at the hearing.

Trump’s attorney, Steven Sadow, has been rather silent since his client’s indictment and arrest on Aug. 24.

Among other things expected to be discussed are early filings pointing to Sadow using a First Amendment challenge in the case.

Protective order issued in Trump election interference case in Georgia

Earlier this month, Judge McAfee granted a protective order requested by the DA’s office. The order was requested after the lawyer for defendant Misty Hampton leaked videos of Sidney Powell and Jenna Ellis being interviewed by Fulton County prosecutors.

Trump and 18 others were indicted earlier this year on charges they worked to overturn the state's election results in 2020. Powell and Ellis, along with Kenneth Chesebro and Scott Hall, took plea deals.

The judge’s order can still help block the release of "sensitive materials" during the discovery phase, but the state has to label those items and the defense then has 14 days to object.

Another highlight of the protective order issued is that it outlines to whom the sensitive materials can be disclosed. Sensitive materials cannot be disclosed to anyone other than "employees, assistants, paralegals. consultants, agents, experts or potential witnesses connected to the defendant's defense." If sensitive materials are inadvertently disclosed, the one who did it has to disclose that it happened.

Trump co-defendant’s new bond agreement

Judge McAfee also augmented the bond agreement for one of Trump’s co-defendants, Floyd Harrison Floyd, after the DA’s office said he had been attempting to intimidate and contact likely witnesses and his co-defendants in violation of the terms of his release.

The DA argued Floyd had posted to the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), tagging Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger's chief operation officer, Gabriel Sterling, and the attorney for election worker Ruby Freeman, Von DuBose.

The charges against Floyd relate to allegations of harassment towards Ruby Freeman, a Fulton County election worker who had been falsely accused of election fraud by Trump and his supporters. Floyd took part in a Jan. 4, 2021, conversation in which Freeman was told she "needed protection" and was pressured to lie and say she had participated in election fraud, the indictment says.

Judge McAfee ruled Floyd was barred from tagging, direct messaging, emailing, texting, or calling his co-defendants, witnesses in the case and two unindicted co-conspirators.

He also ordered Floyd to delete all those posts in question before he left the courtroom.

The judge clarified that though former President Donald Trump is a co-defendant, Harrison is free to talk about him and promote him as it pertains to the 2024 Presidential Election. He is also free to make criticisms online and publicly proclaim his innocence without mentioning his co-defendants, witnesses in the case and the two unindicted co-conspirators.