Trump says attorneys had ‘productive’ meeting with DOJ in Jan 6 probe
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has said that the investigation into Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia is “ready to go” – in a hint suggesting a potential indictment could be imminent.
“The work is accomplished,” she told WXIA over the weekend. “We’ve been working for two and half years. We’re ready to go.”
DA Willis said that there will be people unhappy with the outcome of the probe and praised the actions of local officials who ramped up security around the courthouse in Georgia last week.
The DA previously indicated that any charging decisions would likely come in August.
Separately, an indictment may also come soon in DOJ special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into Mr Trump’s efforts to overturn the election and into the January 6 Capitol riot.
This comes after Mr Smith’s office added additional charges against the former president in the case involving his handling of classified documents on leaving the White House. Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos de Oliveira was charged in the case last week, becoming the third defendant.
He appeared in court on Monday, and will be formally arraigned next week. He has not entered a plea.
Leading anti-abortion group rips DeSantis for not pushing for national ban
A leading anti-abortion organization criticized Republican Ron DeSantis on Monday for not supporting a national ban on the procedure, calling the Florida governor’s position “unacceptable” as he seeks the GOP nomination for president.
The president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, an influential player in conservative politics, took issue with DeSantis’ statements in a recent interview in which he declined to back a national abortion ban. SBA President Marjorie Dannenfelser said the anti-abortion movement and Americans across the U.S. deserve a president who will “boldly advocate” for a ban on abortion at 15 weeks of pregnancy.
Sara Burnett has the story in The Independent:
John Bowden31 July 2023 21:15
Georgia DA says Trump 2020 election probe is ‘ready to go’ in strongest hint yet of looming indictment
DA Willis said in an interview over the weekend that some people will be unhappy with the outcome of the probe and praised the actions of local officials who have started ramping up security around the courthouse in downtown Atlanta.
Read more in The Independent:
John Bowden31 July 2023 20:44
Mar-a-Lago property manager makes first court appearance in Trump documents case
Donald Trump’s employee Carlos de Oliveira appeared at a federal courthouse in Miami on Monday, where he has been indicted and will soon be arraigned on charges stemming from the growing investigation into the former president’s retention of documents from the White House.
He is one of a small handful of employees now targeted by the Justice Department as supposed collaborators in Mr Trump’s alleged scheme to harbour unauthorised mementos from his time in office at Mar-a-Lago — souvenirs which, according to the DoJ, include classified materials and presidential records that are supposed to be in the hands of the National Archives.
Read more:
John Bowden31 July 2023 20:01
Voices: The GOP primary is already decided. We’re just pretending it isn’t.
The Independent’s Washington DC bureau chief Eric Garcia explains why Donald Trump’s continued polling dominance — especially in the states that matter — show that there’s really only one major player in the 2024 Republican primary.
John Bowden31 July 2023 19:14
Trump lawyer says he would’ve been successful in destroying evidence if he wanted to
Former President Donald Trump’s lawyer Alina Habba has called Mr Trump the “most ethical American” she knows, while also saying he could have deleted the evidence if he so desired because he owns Mar-a-Lago, owns the IT, and pays his employees.
Mr Trump is charged with violations of the Espionage Act and an array of other criminal counts over his harbouring of presidential records at Mar-a-Lago and other locations. He has plead not guilty.
Take a look at his attorney’s newest defence, rolled out this Sunday on Fox News:
John Bowden31 July 2023 18:46
Former Georgia official compares nominating Trump to ‘peeing your pants’
Former Georgia lieutenant governor Geoff Duncan likened picking Donald Trump to be the 2024 GOP nominee to “peeing in your pants.”
The former Republican official attacked the ex-president in an appearance on CNN over the weekend.
Watch his appearance here:
John Bowden31 July 2023 18:10
Trump says charges from Jan 6 probe coming ‘any day now’
Former president Donald Trump on Monday said he expects he will soon face a second set of federal criminal charges from the Washington, DC grand jury that has been investigating his efforts to remain in office against the will of voters despite losing the 2020 election.
Writing on his Truth Social website, Mr Trump said he assumes Special Counsel Jack Smith, who he referred to as “deranged,” will announce an indictment against him “any day now” with charges pertaining to a speech the then-president delivered on the day a riotous mob of his supporters stormed the US Capitol in hopes of blocking certification of his 2020 election loss.
Follow this story in The Independent:
John Bowden31 July 2023 17:23
Mar-a-Lago property manager makes first court appearance
Carlos de Oliveira, Donald Trump’s property manager at Mar-a-Lago, made his first court appearance on Monday after being charged last week with crimes related to Mr Trump’s allegedly illegal retention of classified documents and presidential records.
Mr Oliveira did not enter a plea, and was released on $100,000 bond. He is accused of conspiracy to obstruct justice and making false statements to investigators. His arraignment will take place next Thursday.
John Bowden31 July 2023 16:39
Trump’s team creates legal defence fund to pay for growing number of allies caught up in his legal problems
Donald Trump’s team is reportedly creating a legal defence fund that will assist in paying for his allies’ legal fees as the number of investigations and indictments against the ex-president increases.
The fund, supposedly set to be led by longtime Trump advisor Michael Glassner, is thought to be called the Patriort Legal Defense Fund Inc, two people familiar with the matter told The New York Times and CNN.
Since leaving office, Mr Trump has been subject to several investigations and is currently facing two indictments, one at the federal level and one in New York City.
Since January, Mr Trump’s political action committee (PAC), Save America, has reportedly spent more than $40m on legal fees for him and his former staffers or allies who have served as witnesses or provided testimony.
It is unclear what, or who, the new fund will cover, though one witness told The New York Times it will not cover Mr Trump’s own legal bills.
Ariana Baio31 July 2023 16:27
Judge rejects Trump suit to block Fulton County DA’s election probe
A Georgia judge has rejected former president Donald Trump’s attempt to block Fulton County DA Fani Willis from bringing indictments against him or anyone else based on the results of a special grand jury investigation into his effort to overturn his 2020 election loss in the Peach State.
In March, Mr Trump sued to have Ms Willis barred from indicting him based on any evidence uncovered during the special grand jury probe and asked to have Ms Willis disqualified from any further investigation or prosecution of his alleged interference in the election he lost to President Joe Biden.
Read more in The Independent:
John Bowden31 July 2023 15:44