New text messages reveal how one witness helped build a case.
Election interference case
via NBC
A key witness in the effort to disqualify the Georgia prosecutor leading the election interference case against Trump provided far less supportive testimony than expected.
The witness
via CBS
Text messages later revealed the witness, lawyer Terrence Bradley, had actively helped the defense for months by providing insider knowledge about the romantic relationship between the prosecutor, Fani Willis, and a staff member she hired, Nathan Wade.
The relationship
via 11Alive
Bradley suggested the relationship began before Wade’s hiring, contrary to his equivocal statements in court.
‘I am nervous’
via CBS
Defense attorney, Ashleigh Merchant, said, “I am nervous. This is huge,” she said. Bradley said, “You are huge. You will be fine.”
‘Absolutely’
via 11Alive
Merchant said to Bradley, “Do you think it started before she hired him?” Bradley responded, “Absolutely.”
My friend
via CBS
Merchant said, “I protected you completely. I kept you out of it. You are my friend and I trust you.”
Conflict of interest
via CBS
The defense argued this amounted to an improper conflict of interest, as Wade had profited from work on the case.
‘I don’t recall’
via 11Alive
Steven Sadow, a lawyer for Trump said, “Why would you speculate and say that in a text?” Bradley replied, “I don’t recall why I thought that it started at that time.”
Underlying allegations
via CBS
While the testimony may undermine the witness’s credibility, it does not directly impact the underlying allegations against Trump in the election interference investigation.
An extraordinary process
via 11Alive
The case has been embroiled in an extraordinary process examining the prosecutors’ conduct.
Donald Trump
via CBS
In a recent development, a Fulton County judge has dismissed several counts brought against former President Donald Trump and five others in a case involving alleged attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. The ruling quashed six counts in the 41-count indictment returned by a Fulton County grand jury in August, with Trump being charged with three of them.
Co-defendants
via 11Alive
The dismissal of these counts comes amid a legal battle that has seen Trump and his co-defendants facing criminal prosecution over alleged election interference in the state.
Alleged wrongdoing
via CBS
The judge’s decision to quash the counts was based on the prosecution’s failure to make specific allegations of any alleged wrongdoing on those counts, leading to a lack of detail necessary for the defendants to prepare their defenses.
Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act
via 11Alive
The ruling indicates that Trump will still face charges related to the case, despite the dismissal of some counts. The case largely revolves around charges brought under Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).
Violate their oaths
via CBS
Notably, the six dismissed counts relate to alleged attempts to solicit state officials to violate their oaths of office, both to the Georgia Constitution and the U.S. Constitution. The judge found the allegations “so generic as to compel this Court” to quash the charges.
Federal and state courts
via 11Alive
Trump’s prosecution in Fulton County is just one of four he is facing in federal and state courts, with a trial set to begin this month in New York City stemming from allegations he falsified business records in connection with a “hush money” payment to suppress damaging information before the 2016 presidential election.
Trump seeks re-election
via CBS
The ruling in the Georgia case comes against the backdrop of a heated presidential race, as Trump seeks re-election in November. It remains to be seen how these criminal cases will impact the upcoming election and their potential implications for Trump’s political future.
Potential implications
via 11Alive
The dismissal of counts in the Georgia election interference case against Donald Trump has injected new dynamics into the legal proceedings, setting the stage for further legal battles and potential implications for the landscape of U.S. politics as the presidential race unfolds.
