Former President Trump's bail set at $200,000 in Georgia election case

Written by Henrik Rothen

Aug.22 - 2023 9:30 AM CET

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Foto: Shutterstock.com
Foto: Shutterstock.com
Former President Trump's bail set at $200,000 in Georgia election case.

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An Atlanta judge set bail for former President Donald J. Trump at $200,000 on Monday in a new election interference case. The bond agreement warns Mr. Trump against intimidating or threatening witnesses or his 18 co-defendants.

Mr. Trump, who announced his surrender to Atlanta authorities on Thursday, is also dealing with three other criminal cases filed against him this year. His bond agreement in Georgia prohibits communication with co-defendants except through his lawyers and directs him to make no threats, including social media posts.

The terms were more extensive than those for other defendants, reflecting Mr. Trump's past inflammatory and sometimes false attacks on Fani T. Willis, the Fulton County district attorney leading the case. Bond was set at $100,000 for John Eastman and Kenneth Chesebro, architects of a plan to keep Mr. Trump in power using fake electors.

Mr. Trump's attacks continued on Monday, calling Ms. Willis "crooked, incompetent, & highly partisan" on Truth Social. He falsely claimed that violent crime had escalated under her watch, though homicides have fallen sharply in Atlanta.

The bail agreements for Mr. Trump and several co-defendants in Georgia require five- and six-figure sums, potentially challenging for some, including Rudolph W. Giuliani, Mr. Trump's former personal lawyer.

The indictment accuses Mr. Trump and others of a conspiracy to subvert Georgia's election results, where he narrowly lost to Joseph R. Biden Jr. The charges include lying to officials, creating fake pro-Trump electors, harassing workers, soliciting officials, breaching voting machines, and engaging in a cover-up.

In Atlanta, officials have emphasized treating the defendants as typical accused felons, with mug shots, fingerprinting, and cash bails. Security demands regarding the booking of a former president are expected from the Secret Service.

All 19 defendants must turn themselves in by noon on Friday. The case highlights the complex legal landscape facing Mr. Trump and his associates, with mounting legal costs and concerns among the defendants.