Lawfare No Bull

On Nov. 3, in a hearing in Fulton County, Judge Scott McAfee heard arguments on motions from the Georgia Secretary of State, the Fulton County Superior Court Clerk, and the Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections to quash defendant Harrison Floyd’s subpoenas for access to elections data from the 2020 election. During the hearing, Floyd’s counsel withdrew its subpoena of the Board of Elections and Judge McAfee asked the Secretary of State and Superior Court Clerk for more details on the burden these subpoenas would create and how to protect potential personal identifying information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Oct. 31, NCTC Director Christine Abizaid, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and FBI Director Christopher Wray testified before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs in a hearing entitled “Threats to the Homeland.” The committee questioned the witnesses about terrorism threats facing the country, issues related to the southern border, antisemitic and faith-related violence and threats, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Oct. 24, Jenna Ellis, a former Trump lawyer, pleaded guilty to one felony count in the Fulton County election interference case. Ellis will serve five years of probation and agreed to testify against other defendants in the case. Ellis’s plea comes days after co-defendants Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell pleaded guilty.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Oct. 20, Kenneth Chesebro, a former Trump lawyer and alleged architect of the “fake electors scheme,” pleaded guilty to one felony count in the Fulton County election interference case. Chesebro will serve five years of probation and agreed to testify against other defendants in the Fulton County case. Chesebro’s plea comes one day after co-defendant Sidney Powell pleaded guilty.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former Trump lawyer Sidney Powell pleads guilty to misdemeanor charges related to election interference, agrees to testify against other defendants. The podcast covers the details of the conspiracy involving Powell, including tampering with electronic ballot markers and unlawfully accessing secure election machines.

On Oct. 16, in a hearing in Fulton County court, Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell’s attorneys haggled with prosecutors over questions in the jury selection questionnaire that will be handed out to potential jurors on Friday Oct. 20. Judge Scott McAfee focused on eliminating repetitive questions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Oct. 10 and 11, Judge Scott McAfee heard arguments on a number of pre-trial motions in the Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell trial in Fulton County Court, including motions to dismiss the indictment and motions to dismiss the racketeering charges. The audio from the two hearings has been edited and put together here with a break in the middle. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Sept. 29, Scott Hall, a Georgia bail bondsman and one of the 19 defendants in the Fulton County election interference case, pleaded guilty to five misdemeanor charges in exchange for probation. As part of the deal, he agreed to testify against other defendants in the Fulton County case. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 On Sept. 20, Attorney General Merrick Garland testified before the House Judiciary Committee in a hearing entitled “Oversight of the U.S. Department of Justice.” The committee questioned Garland about the Hunter Biden investigations, the role of special counsels, the Department of Justice’s actions related to January 6th, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Sept. 14, in a hearing in Fulton County, Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee granted an expedited trial schedule for former Trump lawyers Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell, separate from their 17 other co-defendants in the Georgia election interference case. The hearing also covered the defendants’ motion to unseal transcripts of witness testimony before the special purpose grand jury. During the hearing, the prosecution handed over a list of names of the 30 unindicted co-conspirators to the defendants’ lawyers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.