Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and election investigator Frances Watson have been subpoenaed to testify on Monday at a hearing regarding charges against former Trump White House Chief of Staff, Mark Meadows.
Meadows, along with former President Trump, is among 19 co-defendants who were indicted by a grand jury last week on racketeering charges related to attempts to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has given each of the co-defendants until Friday to “voluntarily surrender” or face an arrest warrant.
Along with racketeering Meadows faces an additional charge of solicitation of violating an oath by a public officer.
Earlier this month, Meadows undertook an effort to move his case from Fulton County to federal court. On Saturday he filed to take his efforts one step further—requesting that charges against him be dismissed altogether.
Though U.S. District Judge Steve Jones scheduled the hearing Monday to discuss Meadows’ request, he declined Meadows’ move to have his charges dismissed, as well as a similar request from former Trump DOJ official and co-defendant Jeffrey Clark, meaning Willis’ warrant still stands. On Thursday afternoon Meadows turned himself in at the Fulton County Jail. Clark has until noon Friday to do the same or face arrest.
Willis’ prosecution reportedly was sparked by Trump’s phone call to Raffensperger on January 2, 2021, during which the then-President pressured his fellow Republican, who recorded the call, saying, “I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have.”
On Monday Trump’s attorneys signed a $200,000 bond agreement with Willis related to the 13 charges he faces in Georgia. That evening the former President posted on social media that he’ll be turning himself in at the Fulton County jail on Thursday.
According to reports, the former President’s surrender to authorities was set to occur Thursday evening.
