Georgia
Here’s who has surrendered so far in Trump’s Georgia case
In the wake of the release of an indictment by a grand jury in Fulton County, Ga., last week, nine of the 19 defendants named in the case surrounding efforts to interfere in the results of the 2020 election have surrendered to local law enforcement.
Former President Donald Trump, perhaps the most prominent defendant in the case, is expected to surrender Thursday. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis gave those indicted until Friday at noon to turn themselves in. The defendants face state Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act charges.
So far, the list of those who have surrendered includes two fake electors David Shafer and Cathy Latham, Ray Smith, a Georgia-based attorney who worked for Trump post-election, Kenneth Chesebro, an attorney who worked on the fake electors plan, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, attorney Sidney Powell, who worked on Trump’s 2020 campaign, Jenna Ellis, a lawyer for Trump and bail bond business owner Scott Hall.
Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark are both attempting to avoid surrender in the Peach State, but Willis urged a judge to prevent them from blocking their arrest Wednesday.
David Shafer
David Shafer. (Fulton County Sheriff’s Office)
David Shafer is the former chairman of the Georgia Republican Party and is accused in the indictment of helping organize a mid-December meeting of 16 people in the Georgia Capitol to sign fake Electoral College documents. Like Meadows and Clark, he is also trying to get his case moved to federal court. He surrendered Wednesday morning.
Shafer, who is facing seven counts including impersonating a public officer, forgery, false statements and attempting to file false documents, seemed to take pride in his arrest, making his mugshot his current profile picture on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. He even announced the change to his profile picture in a separate post.
“Good morning! #NewProfilePicture,” he captioned the Wednesday post featuring the mugshot.
Cathy Latham
Cathy Latham. (Fulton County Sheriff’s Office)
Cathy Latham is the former Coffee County Republican Party chairwoman and is accused of signing the fake Electoral College documents alongside participating in a breach of voting systems at an elections office in Coffee County, Ga. She also surrendered Wednesday morning.
Latham can be seen in footage from Jan. 7, 2021, at the elections office welcoming in employees from a technology solutions firm allegedly paid for by Sidney Powell.
Ray Smith
Ray Smith. (Fulton County Sheriff’s Office)
Ray Smith is a former member of Trump’s legal team who testified at three Georgia state Legislature hearings in which, alongside other Trump allies, he promoted invalid claims of election fraud. Like Latham and Shafer, he surrendered Wednesday.
His participation in the hearings led to three counts of soliciting a public officer to violate their oath and two counts of making false statements. Alongside these charges, he faces six counts related to the false electors scheme, featuring forgery, false statements and conspiracy charges.
John Eastman
John Eastman, left, an attorney indicted with former President Donald Trump, leaves after speaking to media outside the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, where he was booked on Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023. His attorney David Wolfe speaks to press in the background. (Arvin Temkar/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)
John Eastman is a former lawyer for Trump who created and propagated a plan to overturn the results of the 2020 election via the fake electors scheme and then having then-Vice President Mike Pence throw out the real electors. He surrendered Tuesday.
“I am here today to surrender to an indictment that should never have been brought,” Eastman said in a statement posted to his attorneys’ website in the wake of his surrender. “It represents a crossing of the Rubicon for our country, implicating the fundamental First Amendment right to petition the government for redress of grievances.”
He faces nine charges in the indictment in Georgia, covering counts including the state RICO charges, forgery and conspiring to commit false statements and writings.
Rudy Giuliani
A mugshot of former New York City Mayor and Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani. (Fulton County Sheriff’s Office)
The former New York City mayor and former personal attorney for the 45th president, Rudy Giuliani, faces 13 charges for multiple actions including his promotion of lies about election fraud and the fake electors scheme. After his surrender at the Fulton County jail on Wednesday, he told reporters that Willis’ case against him infringed on the First Amendment rights of those speaking up for Trump.
“If they could do this to me, they could do this to you,” Giuliani said.
He appeared at the same Georgia Legislature hearings at Smith, for which he received counts of soliciting lawmakers to violate their oaths of office and making false statements. Giuliani’s RICO charges may seem ironic to some, as he pioneered the use of them during his time as a prosecutor in Manhattan to take down members of the mafia.
Sidney Powell
Sidney Powell. (Fulton County Sheriff’s County)
Sidney Powell is a former lawyer for Trump’s 2020 campaign. She faces six other counts besides her RICO charges for her involvement in efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Powell, who became a notable surrogate for election fraud claims related to the 2020 election, surrendered Wednesday.
Her charges include conspiracy to commit election fraud for her actions related to the Coffee County election office breach alongside a series of computer crimes and conspiracy to defraud the state.
Jenna Ellis
Jenna Ellis. (Fulton County Sheriff’s Office)
Jenna Ellis, a former lawyer for Trump, faces two charges related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Beyond the RICO charge, she is accused of soliciting the violation of an oath of a public officer. She surrendered Wednesday. In an apparent response to her surrender, she posted Bible verses alongside her mugshot on X.
“‘But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you…’ Matt 5:44,” her post read. “‘But he who trusts in the Lord, lovingkindness shall surround him. Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones; And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.’ Psalm 32:10-11”
Ellis’ solicitation charge stems from her appearance at one of the Georgia Legislature hearings in December.
Kenneth Chesebro
Kenneth Chesebro. (Fulton County Sheriff’s Office)
Kenneth Chesebro, a lawyer and coordinator in the fake elector scheme, faces seven charges for his actions in connection with efforts to overturn the 2020 election. He originally began working with the Trump campaign in connection with their legal efforts in Wisconsin, drafting memos to help plot the fake elector scheme. He surrendered Wednesday.
Scott Hall
Bail bond business owner Scott Hall was the first of the nine defendants to surrender Tuesday. He faces seven criminal charges in relation to the Coffee County election office breach. Beyond RICO charges, he faces conspiracy to commit election fraud, conspiracy to defraud the state and violation counts. He was reportedly among individuals welcomed into the election office by Cathy Latham.
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Georgia
Why Georgia’s ruling party is pushing for the foreign agent law—and how the West should respond
On May 14, the Georgian parliament passed a controversial “foreign agent” law during its third and final hearing. The legislation would require organizations receiving more than 20 percent of their funding from other countries to register as “organizations serving the interests of a foreign power.” The bill has prompted fierce backlash from critics who argue that it is intended to crack down on opposition to the ruling party and align Georgia closer to Russia and away from the West. President Salome Zurabishvili plans on vetoing the bill, but the parliament can override her veto. Large, ongoing protests in Tbilisi have revealed how unpopular this foreign agent legislation is. So, why is the ruling Georgian Dream party still pushing it forward? And how should the West respond if the bill passes into law?
Electoral advantage
Georgian Dream stands to benefit from the adoption of the foreign agent law ahead of parliamentary elections in October. Civil society in Georgia has historically exerted a significant influence on the country’s politics. For example, it played a pivotal role in the 2012 elections by contributing to voter education and election monitoring.
However, the main vulnerability that Georgian nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and civil society organizations face is financial reliance on international donors. Civil society organizations in Georgia receive more than 90 percent of funding from foreign sources, according to a 2020 report. Targeting their funding streams right before the elections seems to be a logical step for a ruling party that intends to eliminate influential and potentially opposing voices before the elections.
But many argue that Georgian Dream could win the October parliamentary elections without this legislation. After all, the ruling party is ahead in the polls and there have been reports that Georgian Dream has been leveraging administrative power to influence the elections. Extreme divisions have made it almost impossible for the Georgian opposition parties to form a coalition that could counter Georgian Dream. If anything, by introducing the foreign agent bill, Georgian Dream has united the opposition as well as the broader population in defense of Georgia’s European future.
Why, then, did Georgian Dream decide to move forward with this unpopular bill, knowing all too well it would trigger protests and antigovernment narratives just a few months before the elections?
Ivanishvili’s influence
Bidzina Ivanishvili, the richest man in Georgia and the founder and honorary chairman of Georgian Dream, could be key to understanding why the party took this self-destructive step. He exerts exceptional influence on the government’s decisions and actions.
Ivanishvili delivered a speech on April 29, during which he defined NGOs as agents nurtured by a global force that, in his telling, is responsible for getting Georgia and Ukraine into wars with Russia. He believes that the introduction of the foreign agent law ahead of the elections was necessary because NGOs were trying to change electoral laws, acting in the interest of the “global party of war,” which, he believes, intends to engineer a revolution in Georgia.
The combination of Ivanishvili’s views and a ruling party that executes his every decision with no questions asked is putting the Georgian people’s safety and future at risk. A sensible and nuanced Western response is needed to support the Georgian people.
The regional trend
The adoption of the Russian-style foreign agent law seems to be a regional trend, not just a Georgian phenomenon. Hungary, Kyrgyzstan, and Georgia all started actively pushing for foreign agent laws in 2023. Hungary implemented foreign agent legislation in December 2023, and Kyrgyzstan adopted its own in April 2024.
Three states in Eastern Europe and Eurasia pushing to adopt Russian-style foreign agent laws almost at the same time might not be a coincidence. It is possible Russia is inspiring or even pressuring the ruling parties. After all, Moscow’s influence in these countries would likely increase if the NGOs and civil society organizations in these countries were to lose funding from international donors.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has defended Georgian Dream’s reintroduction of the foreign agent law and stated that it is in Moscow’s interests that the situation in Georgia is “stable and predictable.” Russian President Vladimir Putin has also reaffirmed ties with Hungary’s nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and claimed that Russian-Kyrgyz relations are developing in all directions.
The European Union (EU) has already launched legal action against Hungary in response to the introduction of this law. But Georgia and Kyrgyzstan are not EU member states, and so the same legal route is not available.
What the West should and should not do
It is crucial for the international community—especially the EU, the United States, and the United Kingdom—to support the will of the Georgian people. This means aiding Georgia’s pro-European president in her challenge to the ruling party’s actions. It also means seeking accountability for the ruling class that defies the will of its people and is impeding Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration, a goal that is written into Georgia’s constitution.
The EU should reconsider measures that could harm the Georgian population, such as the potential suspension of current visa-free travel. It would not help the situation to punish the wider Georgian population for the ruling party’s actions.
The international community and donors must continue their support for civil society organizations in Georgia, especially in the lead-up to the October elections. Despite the legal ramifications of the new bill and the anticipated crackdown on the civil society sector, sustaining funding streams is crucial for bolstering civil society’s monitoring capacity. This is vital for ensuring transparent and fair electoral processes in October and providing Georgia with an opportunity for another peaceful transition of power.
The many EU and Georgian flags carried through the streets of Tbilisi in recent weeks make clear where most Georgians’ view their future. The West must do what it can to help keep them headed in that direction.
Maia Nikoladze is the assistant director at the Economic Statecraft Initiative within the Atlantic Council’s GeoEconomics Center. Follow her at @Mai_Nikoladze.
Ana Lejava is a policy associate at the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security and a former Young Ambassador of Georgia to the United States. Follow her at @AnaLejava.
Further reading
Mon, Apr 19, 2021
Fighting for the hearts and minds of Sakartvelo: The Georgian information environment during the 2020 parliamentary election
Report
By
Eto Buziashvili, Givi Gigitashvili, Sopo Gelava, Graham Brookie, Andy Carvin, Iain Robertson, Zarine Kharazian
A technical analysis of how various online actors, both foreign and domestic, attempted to manipulate public opinion and influence the recent Georgian parliamentary election results.
Georgia
Georgia softball live score updates in first round NCAA Regional vs. UNCW
Georgia softball will begin its run in the 2024 NCAA Tournament as the No. 11 seed against UNCW on Friday in the Athens Regional.
The game is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+ following the first game of the day between Liberty and Charlotte at Jack Turner Stadium. This is a double elimination tournament, with the winner advancing to the Super Regionals against the winner of the Los Angeles Regional, which houses national No. 6 seed UCLA, Grand Canyon, San Diego State and Virginia Tech.
This is the second time Georgia has hosted back-to-back regionals, dating back to the triple host gig they had between 2014-2016. It is the 23rd straight NCAA Tournament made by Georgia, not including the canceled 2020 season. Georgia had advanced to last year’s super-regional rounds. The Bulldogs have advanced to the Women’s College World Series five times, last in 2021, never bringing home the title.
The Bulldogs (39-16) lost to 2-seeded Florida in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals.
‘Ubuntu’: Why Georgia softball has adopted this African philosophy as 2024 team motto
Portal: Georgia softball has become a landing point for curious ACC transfers like these four
What channel is Georgia vs. UNCW?
TV channel: ESPN+
Livestream: WatchESPN
Georgia softball start time vs. UNCW
Date: Friday, May 17
Time: 5:30 p.m. ET
Location: Jack Turner Stadium; Athens, Ga.
Georgia softball live score updates vs. UNCW
Georgia softball 2024 schedule
Date & Time | Opponent | Location | Results |
---|---|---|---|
Feb. 9 (Red & Black Showcase) @ 3:30 p.m. | Murray State | Athens | W, 11-0 (5 inn.) |
Feb. 9 (Red & Black Showcase) @ 6 p.m. | South Dakota | Athens | W, 4-0 |
Feb. 10 (Red & Black Showcase) @ 1 p.m. | Murray State | Athens | W, 2-0 |
Feb. 10 (Red & Black Showcase) @ 3:30 p.m. | Purdue | Athens | W, 6-1 |
Feb. 11 (Red & Black Showcase) @ Noon | Purdue | Athens | W, 5-1 |
Feb. 15 (Shriners Children’s Clearwater Inv.) @ 1 p.m. | Wisconsin | Clearwater, Fla. | W, 7-6 (10 inn.) |
Feb. 16 (Shriners Children’s Clearwater Inv.) @ 1 p.m. | Oklahoma State | Clearwater, Fla. | W, 7-4 |
Feb. 16 (Shriners Children’s Clearwater Inv.) @ 1 p.m. | UCLA | Clearwater, Fla. | W, 7-2 |
Feb. 17 (Shriners Children’s Clearwater Inv.) @ 1 p.m. | Florida State | Clearwater, Fla. | W, 20-10 (5 inn.) |
Feb. 17 (Shriners Children’s Clearwater Inv.) @ N/A | Minnesota | Clearwater, Fla. | Canceled |
Feb. 23 (Georgia Classic) @ 5:30 p.m. | Virginia Tech | Athens | L, 4-5 |
Feb. 24 (Georgia Classic) @ 12:30 p.m. | Virginia Tech | Athens | W, 7-5 |
Feb. 24 (Georgia Classic) @ 3 p.m. | Radford | Athens | W, 10-1 (6 inn.) |
Feb. 25 (Georgia Classic) @ 1 p.m. | Dartmouth | Athens | W, 8-1 |
Feb. 28 @ 5 p.m. | Clemson | Athens | W, 2-1 (8 inn.) |
March 1 (DeMarini Inv.) @ 3 p.m. | Cal | Palo Alto, Calif. | W, 4-2 |
March 1 (DeMarini Inv.) @ 5:30 p.m. | Boise State | Palo Alto, Calif. | W, 4-1 |
March 2 (DeMarini Inv.) @ 4:30 p.m. | Cal | Palo Alto, Calif. | L, 2-7 |
March 2 (DeMarini Inv.) @ 7 p.m. | Stanford | Palo Alto, Calif. | Canceled |
March 3 (DeMarini Inv.) @ 3 p.m. | Stanford | Palo Alto, Calif. | L, 1-3 (9 inn.) |
March 8 (Bulldog Classic) @ 6 p.m. | Miami (OH) | Athens | W, 13-2 (5 inn.) |
March 9 (Bulldog Classic) @ 1 p.m. | Jacksonville State | Athens | W, 9-0 (5 inn.) |
March 9 (Bulldog Classic) @ 3:30 p.m. | Miami (OH) | Athens | W, 6-4 |
March 10 (Bulldog Classic) @ 1 p.m. | Jacksonville State | Athens | W, 8-6 |
March 10 (Bulldog Classic) @ 3:30 p.m. | Furman | Athens | W, 7-0 |
March 13 @ 6 p.m. | Georgia Tech | Athens | W, 6-3 |
March 15 @ 6 p.m. | Alabama | Athens | W, 4-2 |
March 16 @ Noon | Alabama | Athens | W, 11-3 (5 inn.) |
March 17 @ Noon | Alabama | Athens | L, 4-5 |
March 20 @ 6 p.m. | Georgia Southern | Athens | W, 17-1 (5 inn.) |
March 23 @ 2 p.m. | Ole Miss | Oxford, Miss. | W, 7-0 |
March 23 @ 5 p.m. | Ole Miss | Oxford, Miss. | W, 10-7 (8 inn.) |
March 24 @ 2 p.m. | Ole Miss | Oxford, Miss. | W, 4-1 |
March 27 @ 6:30 p.m. | Kennesaw State | Kennesaw | W, 10-1 (5 inn.) |
March 30 @ Noon | Arkansas | Athens | L, 2-3 |
March 31 @ Noon | Arkansas | Athens | W, 8-2 |
April 1 @ 7 p.m. | Arkansas | Athens | L, 2-8 |
April 3 @ 6 p.m. | Mercer | Athens | W, 8-1 |
April 5 @ 6 p.m. | Tennessee | Knoxville, Tenn. | L, 1-5 |
April 6 @ Noon | Tennessee | Knoxville, Tenn. | W, 3-2 |
April 7 @ 11 a.m. | Tennessee | Knoxville, Tenn. | L, 1-3 |
April 10 @ 6 p.m. | Georgia Southern | Athens | W, 5-0 |
April 12 @ 6:30 p.m. | Kentucky | Lexington, Ky. | L, 5-7 |
April 13 @ 2 p.m. | Kentucky | Lexington, Ky. | W, 6-4 |
April 14 @ 2 p.m. | Kentucky | Lexington, Ky. | L, 2-6 |
April 17 @ 6 p.m. | USC-Upstate | Athens | W, 8-0 |
April 19 @ 6 p.m. | Missouri | Athens | L, 2-4 |
April 20 @ Noon | Missouri | Athens | W, 4-2 |
April 21 @ Noon | Missouri | Athens | W, 4-2 |
April 26 @ 6 p.m. | Florida | Athens | L, 1-9 (5 inn.) |
April 27 @ 11 a.m. | Florida | Athens | W, 11-6 |
April 28 @ Noon | Florida | Athens | L, 7-10 |
May 3 @ 5 p.m. | Mississippi State | Starkville, Miss. | L, 0-2 |
May 4 @ 1 p.m. | Mississippi State | Starkville, Miss. | W, 5-0 |
May 5 @ Noon | Mississippi State | Starkville, Miss. | L, 1-2 |
May 8 (SEC Tournament, round 1) @ 5 p.m. | Auburn | Auburn, Ala. | W, 6-5 |
May 9 (SEC Tournament, round 2) @ 5 p.m. | Florida | Auburn, Ala. | L, 4-9 |
May 17 (NCAA Regionals, round 1) @ 5:30 p.m. | UNCW | Athens | |
May 24-26 (NCAA Super Regionals) | TBA | Campus sites | |
May 30-June 6 (Women’s College World Series) | TBA | Oklahoma City |
Georgia
Ultimate BBQ States study reveals Georgia's barbecue habits
IN OTHER NEWS – A new study recently released ahead of National Barbecue Day reveals Georgia’s barbecue habits.
Release:
With National Barbecue Day fast approaching (May 16th), Casino.org conducted an extensive US barbecue culture study. This includes a nationwide survey and a weighted index involving various factors: barbecue habits, flavor preferences, states boasting the best grill skills, biggest spenders, and an analysis of the most passionate BBQ-loving states.
Here’s how Georgia scored:
- Despite their intense love for BBQ, Georgia ranks #13 in the top BBQ-loving states ranking, with a score of 54.3/100
- The low score is due to residents participating in an average of 2.7 BBQ-like events and dining out at BBQ joints just 6.4 times throughout the year
- However, residents fire up their grill 16.8 times on average throughout the year, spending $97.60 per BBQ – that’s $1,639.68 annually
- Georgians rate their grill skills a 3.6 out of 5, more than the national average (3.5)
- Ideal BBQ plate: chicken wings (25%), corn on the cob (44%), mac and cheese (18%), with ketchup (41%) as the go-to condiment
You can find the full study here, showcasing more of America’s BBQ habits and nationwide rankings.
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