Former President Donald Trump announced that he was surrendering to Georgia authorities to answer for racketeering charges in his alleged plot to overturn the 2020 election.
“Can you believe it? I’ll be going to Atlanta, Georgia, on Thursday to be ARRESTED,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Monday evening.
Trump also took the opportunity to mock Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, labeling her as “Radical Left” and “overseeing one of the greatest Murder and Violent Crime DISASTERS in American History.” He went on to accuse Willis of being in “coordination with Crooked Joe Biden’s DOJ.”
In a later post, he wrote that his bond has been set for $200,000 and joked that Willis believed he’d “fly far away, maybe to Russia” and “share a gold domed suite with Vladimir.”
As part of his bond agreement, Trump is strictly forbidden from engaging in any sort of threatening or persuasive behavior towards witnesses. This includes refraining from any social media posts or reposts. He is also prohibited from contacting witnesses or any of his 18 co-defendants unless through attorneys.
Upon his arrival, Trump is expected to be booked at Fulton County Jail. On Aug. 1, Sheriff Patrick Labat promised to treat the former president like any other inmate. Labat told reporters that he will be “following our normal practices,” which include a mugshot, fingerprinting, and a medical exam.
Trump, who is the Republican front-runner for the 2024 Presidential Election, will skip Wednesday evening’s first debate. However, his arrest, hours later, is very likely to steal headlines and divert attention away from his competition.
The former president is facing a total of 13 charges. These include violations of the Georgia Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer, conspiracy to commit forgery, making false statements and writing, and filing of false documents.
Meanwhile, several co-defendants have already surrendered to authorities and set their bond agreements. They include former Trump attorneys John Eastman and Jenna Ellis, campaign staff member Mike Roman, Georgia State Senator Shawn Still, and bail bondsman Scott Hall.
After his arrest, Eastman told the media that he “absolutely” believes that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump.
Former United States Assistant Attorney General, Jeffrey Clark, has petitioned to have his case moved to a federal court. Former White House Chief of Staff, Mark Meadows, filed an emergency motion to shield him from arrest by law enforcement in Fulton County after his attempt to move to a federal court was shut down.
All defendants, which include ex-NYC mayor Rudy Guliani and former Kanye West publicist Trevian Kutti, have been given until Friday to surrender.
