Atlanta, Georgia – In a significant development, two individuals accused of conspiring with former President Donald Trump in an alleged plot to interfere with the 2020 election results have surrendered themselves to face charges of election interference. John Eastman, a prominent California law professor, and Scott Hall, a Georgia-based bail bondsman, turned themselves in to local officials after being named among the 19 co-defendants in the Fulton County indictment. This move follows the indictment of Mr. Trump and 18 associates by the Fulton County district attorney’s office for their alleged involvement in efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.
John Eastman, 63, who is facing nine counts of racketeering and conspiracy, is perceived as a central figure in the purported plan to manipulate the election results. The law professor previously represented the former president in a lawsuit aimed at overturning election outcomes in several states he lost. In Georgia, Eastman is accused of being part of a scheme to persuade state senators to reject election results and appoint fraudulent electors. Despite the charges, Eastman’s attorney released a statement emphasizing that the case could infringe upon attorneys’ ethical obligations to provide vigorous advocacy for their clients.
Scott Hall, an Atlanta-based bail bondsman, is accused of involvement in a voting systems breach in Coffee County in January 2021. Hall faces seven charges related to this alleged incident. Other co-defendants, including Shawn Still and David Shafer, who are accused of being fake electors, have also secured bail agreements through their legal representatives.
The Fulton County district attorney’s office has set a deadline for the defendants, including former President Trump, to surrender and be booked into the Atlanta jail. President Trump is expected to surrender on Thursday to face the 13 charges against him.
In a separate but related development, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, another co-defendant, has sought a federal court’s intervention in moving his case from Fulton County or obtaining an order to shield him from arrest in Georgia. Similar requests have been made by other individuals, arguing that their actions, conducted during their time as federal officials, should fall under federal jurisdiction.
Former President Trump, who has been granted a $200,000 bond along with specific release conditions, faces criticism for not covering the legal fees of his co-defendants. Critics, including some former associates, have raised concerns about the financial support being provided to those facing charges in connection to the alleged election interference.
This case marks the latest in a series of legal challenges faced by Mr. Trump, with prosecutors in Fulton County accusing him of orchestrating efforts to undermine the will of Georgia’s electorate following his narrow defeat to Democrat Joe Biden. The ex-president has categorically dismissed the allegations, characterizing the case as a politically motivated endeavor to hinder his potential bid for the 2024 presidential election.
