Appeals court sends 'pretty clear signal' Trump codefendants can put Georgia case 'on ice'

A former elections supervisor in Georgia who was charged as part of a broader investigation with trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia has had her case paused.

A Georgia appeals court Wednesday granted Misty Hampton's request that her case be suspended pending the outcome of an appeal that seeks to eject Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from prosecuting Trump and others. Hampton faces multiple charges, including violating the Georgia RICO Act, conspiracy to commit election fraud, and conspiracy to commit computer-related crimes.

Hampton was the elections director of the rural county on Jan. 7, 2021. She’s accused of helping a computer forensics team hired by former President Donald Trump's allies to access election equipment without authorization. The data and software copied was later posted on a server and accessed by an unknown number of people.

Surveillance cameras recorded the security breach.

Hampton was one of 18 people charged along with Trump in August. Attorneys Sidney Powell, Kenneth Chesebro and Jenna Ellis, as well as bail bondsman and Trump supporter Scott Hall all pleaded guilty in their cases in deals with prosecutors and agreed to testify.

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The remaining defendants all pleaded not guilty.

Fulton Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee planned to move forward with pre-trial motions from six defendants not involved in efforts to force out Willis, prompting Hampton's request for the appeals court to intervene.

Cases against nine defendants who submitted appeals, including Trump, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and former Georgia Republican Party chair David Shafer were previously paused.

CNN's national security and justice reporter Zachary Cohen called the appeals court ruling a "pretty clear signal" to the remaining defendants who didn't join the original appeal that the trial court proceedings against them "will also likely be paused if they ask."

"If similarly granted, would officially put entire GA elex case on ice pending DQ ruling," Cohen said.