A lawyer defending former President Donald Trump in his Georgia election interference case, Drew Findling, is a prominent figure among Atlanta’s hip-hop community who has criticized Trump, frequently espouses liberal political views and once donated to Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis—who Trump has viciously attacked in the wake of the 13-count indictment her office brought against him on Monday.
Drew Findling (L), Gucci Mane, Pierre “P” Thomas, 2 Chainz and Yung Miami attend an event in Atlanta … [+] on June 2, 2021. (Photo by Prince Williams/Wireimage)
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Key Facts
Findling defended Trump against the indictment that charges him with racketeering and 12 other felony counts related to his efforts to upend the 2020 presidential election results in the state, calling the case “flawed and unconstitutional” in a joint statement with two other lawyers representing Trump in the case, Jennifer Little and Marissa Goldberg.
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Findling has an extensive history representing prominent Atlanta rappers, who have praised him as a “witch doctor,” a “magician,” and a “god in the streets,” the New York Times reported in a 2018 profile of Findling—who proudly cites in his Instagram bio the “Billion Dollar Lawyer” nickname given to him by the late rapper Young Dolph, the New Yorker reported.
He has represented Migos, Gucci Mane, Waka Flocka Flame, Offset, DaBaby and perhaps most notably, Cardi B, in her Las Vegas mic-throwing case that was recently dropped (he also represented her when she pleaded guilty last year to two assault charges stemming from a 2018 strip club fight that were reduced from felonies to misdemeanors).
Findling, who was enlisted by Trump a year ago to represent him in the Georgia probe, has criticized Trump in the past, calling him “racist” and “pathetic” over Trump’s feud with LeBron James in a 2018 tweet, and referring to Trump’s decades of incendiary commentary about the wrongly accused Central Park 5 as “racist, cruel, sick unforgivable and un-American” in a 2017 tweet.
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Findling also denounced the Supreme Court’s decision to eliminate the constitutional right to abortion—a ruling Trump has taken credit for—vowing to “commit [his] law firm to fighting to restore a woman’s right to choose which has been destroyed by the Supreme Court,” he wrote on Instagram.
Adding to Findling’s contradictory history with Trump, he gave $1,440 to Willis’s 2020 campaign, according to Georgia campaign finance records, a donation first reported by Rolling Stoneon Tuesday.
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Contra
Findling said he doesn’t “apologize for [his] personal politics” when asked by The New York Times to explain his representation of Trump last year, adding, “I do not believe that we choose our client or clients based on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, political belief or the substantive issues involved in the crime.”
Crucial Quote
Trump attacked Willis on Truth Social as an “out of control and very corrupt District Attorney who campaigned and raised money on, ‘I will get Trump’” after the indictment was unsealed Monday. He has also coined the nickname “Phoney Fani” to refer to Willis and has called her a racist.
Key Background
Trump was indicted Monday by Willis’s office in its long-running probe into his efforts to subvert President Joe Biden’s 2020 win in the state. He and 18 other co-defendants, including his ex-attorney Rudy Giuliani and former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, were charged with racketeering in the case, a statute often used to convict mobsters. Trump was charged with 12 other felony counts, including conspiracy to commit false statements and writings and solicitation of a violation of oath by a public officer, a charge that stems from his efforts to pressure Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and House Speaker David Ralston to help him undo the election results. The indictment—Trump’s fourth since announcing his latest run for the White House—lists a total of 41 crimes between the 19 defendants, all of whom are required to surrender to the District Attorney’s office by August 25 and are expected to be booked in the Fulton County Jail.
What To Watch For
How Trump and his legal team will defend him against the indictment in Georgia. Findling previously suggested to the Timeshe would lean on the First Amendment to validate Trump’s infamous January 2021 call with Raffensperger, in which Trump asked him to “find” the 11,780 votes he needed to tip the results in his favor. Findling characterized Trump’s request as a bid to “negotiate a resolution” and compared it to a rap song taken out of context. “Somebody listens to a rap song that lasts for four minutes and 11 seconds and pulls one verse out and tries to conjure up some type of criminal case out of it,” he said.
Further Reading
On the Run with Trump’s “Billion-Dollar Lawyer” (New Yorker)
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Atlanta’s #BillionDollarLawyer Is Looking Out for Your Favorite Rappers (New York Times)
Trump Indicted In Georgia: Here Are The Crimes He’s Been Charged With—And The Prison Sentences They Carry (Forbes)
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – A massive fire broke out Saturday evening at an apartment complex in northwest Atlanta.
The fire is at the Bell Collier Village apartments on Howell Mill Road — just behind the United States Post Office.
Firefighters responded to the apartments around 6:15 and have evacuated the entire building. Crews said the fire may have started on the roof.
Massive fire at northwest Atlanta apartment complex
They are fighting the fire in “defensive mode,” meaning they are fighting the fire from outside the building.
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Multiple pets has already been rescued.
Atlanta News First cameras captured smoke billowing from the apartment building.
Crews do not know how many people have been displaced by the fire.
This is a developing story. Check back with Atlanta News First for updates.
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Former Atlanta Falcons receiver Frank Darby has found a new home.
Darby, a sixth-round pick in 2021 who became a fan favorite due to his energy and infectious smile, has signed a one-year contract to join the San Francisco 49ers, ESPN insider Adam Schefter reported Saturday.
As a rookie, Darby played in 10 games, but was primarily used on special teams. He saw 126 snaps in the game’s third phase compared to just 20 on offense. He caught one pass for 14 on yards on four targets.
The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Darby took the field only five times in 2022 but received a significant uptick in offensive snaps, taking 54 reps. Still, he was targeted only once, making the catch for a 15-yard gain.
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In training camp 2023, Darby appeared to take a step forward. Then-receivers coach T.J. Yates said he was coming into his own, and both Yates and teammate Mack Hollins referred to Darby as the “juice man.”
But Darby suffered a soft tissue injury in the Falcons’ preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins and was cut shortly thereafter. Still, his time in Atlanta wasn’t done – two months later, he returned to the team’s practice squad.
The former Arizona State University standout appeared in one game — a Week 10 loss to the Arizona Cardinals — and played 12 special teams snaps. He spent the remainder of the year on the practice squad.
Now in San Francisco, Darby rejoins former Sun Devil teammate Brandon Aiyuk in the 49ers’ receiver room. The Falcons, meanwhile, have a new-look receiving core around Drake London, with Darnell Mooney, Rondale Moore and Ray-Ray McCloud III among several fresh faces.
There are two matches at the Truist Atlanta Open today, the best being No. 89-ranked Juncheng Shang versus No. 41 Jordan Thompson. Looking to stay up to date on the action? The Tennis Channel will have live coverage and highlights from the entire world of tennis during Center Court and Center Court Live.
Truist Atlanta Open key details
Tournament: The Truist Atlanta Open
Round: Semifinals
Date: July 27
Venue: Atlantic Station
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Court Surface: Hard
Watch the Tennis Channel and more sports on Fubo!
Match of the day: Juncheng Shang vs. Jordan Thompson
Start time: 3:00 PM ET
Round: Semifinal
Through 11 tournaments this year, Shang is 20-11 and has yet to win a title.
Thompson has won one tournament this year, putting up an overall 20-15 match record.
Truist Atlanta Open schedule today
Juncheng Shang vs. Jordan Thompson, 3:00 PM ET (Semifinal)
Yoshihito Nishioka vs. Arthur Rinderknech, 7:00 PM ET (Semifinal)
Truist Atlanta Open results yesterday
Jordan Thompson def. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 7-6, 4-6, 6-3 (Quarterfinal)
Juncheng Shang def. Max Purcell 7-6, 6-4 (Quarterfinal)
Arthur Rinderknech def. Mattia Bellucci 7-6, 3-6, 6-1 (Quarterfinal)
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