Trump tells Georgia witness not to testify

politics @lemmy.world – 618 points – 1 years ago

Former President Trump on Monday appeared to warn former Georgia lieutenant governor Geoff Duncan against testifying before the Fulton County grand jury in the state's 2020 election probe.

Driving the news: "I am reading reports that failed former Lt. Governor of Georgia, Jeff Duncan, will be testifying before the Fulton County Grand Jury," Trump wrote on his Truth Social account on Monday.

"He shouldn't. I barely know him but he was, right from the beginning of this Witch Hunt, a nasty disaster for those looking into the Election Fraud that took place in Georgia."
Duncan, who criticized Trump's false election fraud claims in 2020, said Saturday that he had been told to appear Tuesday before the Fulton County grand jury.
"Republicans should never let honesty be mistaken for weakness," he wrote in a post on X.

What's next: Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis appears poised to issue a charging decision on Trump's alleged efforts to subvert election results.

The big picture: Trump's Monday Truth Social post comes days after the judge overseeing a separate trial — the federal probe into his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election — warned against making "inflammatory statements" that could intimidate witnesses in that trial.

U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan said during a Friday hearing that any appearance of witness tampering would increase the need for a speedy trial.
Trump already faces three criminal trials: In D.C. over efforts to overturn the 2020 election, in Florida over his retention of classified documents and in New York over an alleged hush money payment.

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“You can’t arrest me for robbing the bank. I hardly know the people who work there.”

For real though, my money is on GA Governor (republican) pardoning him for all these charges, in the name of “unity” or similar bullshit.

The governor of Georgia doesn't have pardon power. From a recent article in the Journal-Constitution:

Should Trump be convicted of crimes in Fulton, Republican Gov. Brian Kemp would have no authority in granting a pardon. Georgia is one of only six states in which a board, operating independently of the governor, makes the decisions. Here, it’s the secretive State Board of Pardons and Paroles whose five members are appointed by the governor.

Georgia’s current system was created by constitutional amendment in 1943 after former Gov. E.D. Rivers was indicted on corruption charges, including accusations that he sold pardons.

To be considered for a pardon, a person must first complete all prison sentences at least five years before applying, have lived a “law-abiding life” in the intervening years, have no pending charges against them and have paid all their fines in full.

How long you think it will take GA republicans to throw away the state constitution?

If republicans cared even a bit about constitution, we wouldn’t have DJT as a front runner of their party in 2023.

and have paid all their fines in full.

Oh thank God, we're safe

Georgia passed a law allowing them to remove DAs instead. :(

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/may/05/georgia-brian-kemp-bill-remove-local-prosecutors

Governor of Georgia doesn't actually have that power. Pardons in Georgia are managed by a panel, and any applicant for a pardon has to have actually completed all required sentences and be free of criminal behavior for five years.

Source: https://pap.georgia.gov/parole-consideration/pardons-restoration-rights/pardons-faqs

In other words, if Trump is found guilty in Georgia, there is no way to wiggle out of it.

Georgia law doesn't allow for pardons by the Governor.