Trump codefendants' filings could hurt former president: analysis
Several of Donald Trump's codefendants in the criminal case out of Fulton County, Georgia, have sought speedy trials in the state, perhaps leaving the former president holding the bag, according to a Washington Post report.
Trump, who has been indicted along with more than a dozen others for allegedly unlawful attempts to overturn his 2020 loss in the state, has specifically said he doesn't want a speedy trial. But the defendants who have made such a move include ex-Trump lawyers Ken Chesebro and Sidney Powell.
Key defendants like those deciding to go their own route "could reveal the strength of the case against the former president" according to the news report.
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"While an Oct. 23 trial could involve only Chesebro and possibly Powell, they are charged alongside 17 others (including Trump) with a racketeering conspiracy," the report states. "The experts say that means the case would require delving into the much-broader alleged conspiracy, which features 161 alleged overt acts — 21 of which involve Chesebro and 13 of which involve Powell."
The article quotes Anthony Michael Kreis, a law professor at Georgia State, as saying that most of Chesebro’s "alleged actions don’t involve Georgia specifically."
"He said that means Chesebro’s 'main function' is to 'tie Trump to the scheme at-large and possibly shed light on that,'" the report states.
“That could unearth a lot of damaging evidence against Trump, potentially either through the trial process or if Chesebro cuts a deal,” Kreis said, according the WaPo.