Former President Donald Trump has announced that he will surrender to authorities in Georgia on Thursday to face charges related to the alleged scheme to overturn his 2020 election loss. In a social media post, Trump expressed his disbelief at the situation, stating, Can you believe it? I’ll be going to Atlanta, Georgia, on Thursday to be ARRESTED. This comes after a $200,000 bond agreement was reached for him as part of the recent Fulton County indictment.
Trump, along with 18 others, has been charged with 41 counts connected to efforts to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has given Trump and the other defendants named in the indictment until Friday to surrender themselves.
According to the bond agreement, Trump’s charges include allegedly violating Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) law, with a bond set at $80,000, as well as 12 additional charges, each carrying a $10,000 bond. John Eastman, one of Trump’s attorneys, and Kenneth Chesebro, who worked with Georgia Republicans after the election, also reached bond agreements worth $100,000 each.
John Eastman, a former dean of Chapman University law school, played a significant role in Trump’s post-election efforts to stay in power. He drafted a memo suggesting that Vice President Mike Pence could overturn the election results during a joint session of Congress by involving alternate electors in battleground states, including Georgia, who would falsely certify Trump’s victory.
Kenneth Chesebro, also an attorney, allegedly collaborated with Georgia Republicans and contributed to a plan to have 16 Georgia Republicans sign a certificate falsely declaring Trump as the winner of the state’s election and asserting themselves as the duly elected and qualified electors.
Furthermore, bond agreements have also been reached for Scott Graham Hall, an Atlanta-area bail bondsman accused of involvement in obtaining voting information from Dominion Voting Systems, and Ray Smith III, a Georgia-based lawyer involved in multiple lawsuits challenging the 2020 election results in the state. Their bonds are set at $10,000 and $50,000, respectively.
These bond agreements mark the first reported progress in the case. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, who is presiding over the cases, has approved these agreements.
In the consent bond process, attorneys present arguments supporting their clients’ eligibility for bond, considering factors such as charges, flight risk, and potential intimidation or communication with co-defendants. Once the judge approves the terms of agreement, the state and defendant proceed accordingly.
The charges tied to violating Georgia’s RICO law carry higher bond fees compared to other charges in this case. The bond agreements reflect this distinction.
