Three of former President Donald Trump’s 18 co-defendants charged with attempting to unlawfully overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results have already pleaded not guilty to the sweeping indictment.
Former campaign attorney Ray Stallings Smith III pleaded guilty to all 12 charges against him Monday night. He was followed Tuesday by publicist Trevian Kutti, who has pleaded not guilty to three charges, and former Trump election lawyer Sidney Powell, who has pleaded not guilty to all seven charges against him.
Early statements mean the trio will not have to appear in person for arraignment on Sept. 6 according to the indictment filed by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
Trump, 77, is scheduled to be arraigned at 9:30 a.m. that day before Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee. It was not immediately clear if he would plead guilty before then.
Ray Stallings Smith III winces in the corner for his mugshot. FULTON COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE/AFP via Getty Images
Smith, a partner at the Atlanta-based law firm Smith and Liss, helped work on Trump’s efforts to overturn his loss to Joe Biden in the Peach State. He is accused of advising so-called “fake voters” who signed legal documents falsely attesting that Trump had won the election.
Powell, famous for her “unleash the Kraken” mantra, has requested a speedy trial under Georgia law, meaning her case could be heard as early as October.
Kutti, a former publicist for Kanye West and R. Kelly, allegedly went to the home of a Peach State poll worker, Ruby Freeman, claiming to be a crisis manager. During her visit, Kutti threatened Freeman with arrest if she did not falsely admit to voter fraud, prosecutors say.
Sidney Powell quickly emerged as one of the public faces of Donald Trump’s efforts to thwart the 2020 election.via REUTERS
Trevian Kutti smiles for his mugshot.AP
Fani Willis presented the fourth indictment in about five months against Donald Trump.REUTERS
Willis’s team unsealed its 41-count case against Trump and his 18 co-defendants on August 14.
The 19 defendants face at least one count of violation of the Georgia Chantist Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.
Willis began his investigation into the matter more than two years ago in response to a call Trump had on January 2, 2021, with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, in which he stressed the need to “find, uh, 11,780 votes”, enough to reverse their loss.
Donald Trump is the first current or former president of the United States to be criminally charged, a feat he has accomplished in four cases.Getty Images
Trump faces a total of 91 charges: 13 in the Fulton County case, four in a federal election subversion case, 40 in an alleged hoarding of classified documents case and 34 in a Manhattan case that accuses him of falsifying business records. .
He has denied wrongdoing.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn