Author: Tom Pappert

Georgia Judge Refuses to Revoke Bail for Trump Co-Defendant, but Bans Him from Talking About Trump, Witnesses

Tom Pappert

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee refused to revoke the bail of former Black Voices for Trump director Harrison Floyd in a Tuesday hearing, and instead adopted a modified bond order submitted by District Attorney Fani Willis in court. Floyd is a co-defendant in Willis’ racketeering case against former President Donald Trump.

Willis asked McAfee to revoke Floyd’s bond in a filing last week, citing Floyd’s posts to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Floyd made posts referencing former Georgia election worker Ruby Freeman and tagging other defendants, including former attorney Jenna Ellis, who accepted a plea deal from Willis in October and publicly apologized to Georgia for participating in Trump’s contest of the 2020 election.

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Fani Willis Seeks to Begin Georgia Trump Trial in August 2024

Tom Pappert
Fulton County D.A. Fani Willis

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis asked in a Friday filing to begin the racketeering trial of former President Donald Trump on August 5, 2024. If granted by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, this would correspond with Willis’ plans for Trump’s trial to be active on Election Day, as she told a crowd of reporters gathered at The Washington Post’s headquarters last week.

Willis requested Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee to schedule the trial after a final plea hearing on June 21, 2024. According to Willis, the August trial date “balances potential delays” from Trump’s “other criminal trials” while respecting the rights of his co-defendants to have a speedy trial.

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Gov. Kemp Points Out MLB Dropped ‘Misguided Understanding’ of Georgia Voting Law as All-Star Game Returns to Atlanta

Tom Pappert

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp (R) posted on social media to celebrate the return of the Major League Baseball (MLB) All-Star Game to Atlanta in 2025, noting the professional athletic organization changed its mind regarding Georgia’s 2021 voting law.

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Judge Signs Protective Order Written by Defense, Not DA Fani Willis, After Video Leaks in Georgia Trump Trial

Tom Pappert

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee signed a protective order on Thursday to seal sensitive evidence in District Attorney Fani Willis’ racketeering case against former President Donald Trump following the leak of proffer videos earlier this week. However, McAfee adopted the protective order submitted by former Georgia Republican Party Chairman David Shafer, one of the co-defendants in the case, instead of the more restrictive order submitted by Willis on Tuesday.

He explained that Willis first requested a protective order on September 27, but Shafer and nine other defendants informed the court they were negotiating the details of a joint protective order with prosecutors. The negotiations apparently reached an impasse by October 5, but remained ongoing as of October 16, according to McAfee’s order. 

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Fani Willis Expects Georgia Trump Trial Will Be Live on Election Day, Maybe Continue into 2025

Tom Pappert

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis revealed during an appearance at the headquarters of The Washington Post on Tuesday that she expects the trial of her racketeering case against former President Donald Trump will be ongoing on Election Day in 2024, and may continue past the inauguration in January 2025.

Willis appeared at the Global Women’s Summit on Tuesday, which was sponsored by the Post and held at its headquarters in Washington, D.C. A transcript of Willis’ appearance at the event with Post reporter Amy Gardner reveals the prosecutor was to clarify when she expects her trial of Trump and those who helped him contest the 2020 election will conclude.

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Fani Willis Asks for Emergency Evidence Seal After Leak of Jenna Ellis Video in Georgia Trump Trial

Tom Pappert

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis made an emergency request for Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee to seal all evidence in the racketeering case against former President Donald Trump and those who helped him contest the 2020 election. Willis made the filing on Tuesday, less than one day after the leak of an interview her office held with attorney Jenna Ellis, who accepted a plea deal in October.

Willis argued the leak of Ellis’ interview was “clearly intended to intimidate witnesses” by “subjecting them to harassment and threats prior to trial,” and noted that its release would represent a violation of the defendants’ bail.

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Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones Releases Attack Ad Against ‘Missing’ Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger

Tom Pappert

Georgia Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones (R) released a new advertisement on Monday which attacks Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) over his attendance record over his tenure in his elected position. The advertisement came just days after a federal judge ordered a January trial for a lawsuit against Raffensperger and his office, which are accused of failing to implement a secure electronic voting system.

Jones revealed the video in a post on X, formerly Twitter, and wrote that he is “tired of having a Secretary of State who has shown up to work 42 days this year and his behind his staff to do his job while showboating on liberal TV shows.”

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Federal Judge Orders January Trial, Cites Report Stating Georgia’s 2020 Election Was Not Secure

Tom Pappert

Ninth District Court Judge Amy Totenberg on Friday ordered a January 7 trial for a lawsuit against Georgia state officials which claims their administration of the 2020 election was not secure due to the state’s adoption of new ballot imaging devices (BMDs), which it continues to use less than one year before the 2024 election.

Totenberg ordered the January 9 trial for Curling v. Raffensperger, a lawsuit that has been ongoing since 2017, and maintains Georgia’s electronic voting equipment is not secure. Though Georgia modified its election equipment ahead of the 2020 election, a report for the plaintiffs by University of Michigan computer science professor Alex Halderman asserted that the state’s voting equipment, as it is being used, is vulnerable to hacking and manipulation.

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Poll Shows Trump Leads Biden in Georgia as Less Independents Back Democrat in 2024

Tom Pappert

According to a poll released Wednesday, former President Donald Trump is leading President Joe Biden in Georgia. Though the polling forecasts a close race, its results show Biden is receiving lower levels of support from the coalition that backed him in 2020.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll showed Trump has the support of 45.4 percent of Georgia voters, while Biden is behind him at 43.5 percent. With a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points, the poll shows the men are statistically tied in Georgia.

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Trump Co-Defendant Claims He Can Prove 2020 Election Fraud in Georgia at Trial Using Secretary of State Data

Tom Pappert

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee ruled Friday the Georgia Secretary of State’s office must submit a new motion to quash a request from Harrison Floyd, who subpoenaed the government agency for information related to the 2020 election. Floyd’s attorney claims Georgia’s state agencies have information that will prove the 2020 elections in Fulton County and Georgia were fraudulent, which in turn will confirm his client’s innocence at trial.

Floyd is the former director of Black Voices for Trump, and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis included him in her racketeering case against former President Donald Trump. She claims he tried to coerce a false confession from a Georgia election worker who former Trump campaign lawyer Rudy Giuliani accused of counting fraudulent ballots.

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Fulton County Sheriff Admits Inmate Welfare Fund Spent on Gift Cards, Giveaways amid ‘Slush Fund’ Accusation

Tom Pappert

Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat admitted in a Wednesday meeting of the Fulton County Commission that his office incorrectly spent money from Fulton County Jail’s Inmate Welfare Fund on items that have nothing to do with detainees, including on turkey giveaways, gift cards, party materials, and new vehicles.

Labat confirmed the report by WSB-TV that revealed his office spent more than $1 million earmarked for Fulton County Jail inmates on seemingly frivolous items, including bounce houses, disc jockeys, jugglers, florists, gift cards, and a $500 Thanksgiving giveaway. Labat said he fired two employees and launched an internal audit over the expenditures.

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Attorney for Jenna Ellis Warns Rudy Giuliani ‘Should Be’ Worried About Her Testimony

Tom Pappert

The attorney who secured a plea deal with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis for Jenna Ellis said former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani “should be” worried about his client’s testimony at trial during an interview published Wednesday.

Ellis, who was a member of Trump’s legal team during the 2020 election contest, accepted her plea deal because it seemed as though “timing was of the essence” following the deals secured by attorneys Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

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Gov. Kemp Asks Georgia’s Congressional Delegation to Back Savannah Port Expansion

Tom Pappert

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp (R) asked the state’s congressional delegation to back his plans for another expansion to the Port of Savannah in letters he sent Monday.

Kemp’s letter to Representative Buddy Carter (R-GA-01) was posted to X, formerly Twitter. In the letter, Kemp revealed he is pushing for a bipartisan movement to deepen and widen the Port of Savannah for the second time, and indicated he sent matching letters to the state’s other congressional representatives.

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Georgia Judge Denies Sheriff’s Bid to Move Fulton County Jail Inmates to Mississippi

Tom Pappert

A Fulton County Judge ruled on Monday that Sheriff Pat Labat (D) cannot transfer jail detainees from Atlanta to a private prison in Mississippi. Labat previously indicated he would move up to 1,000 inmates to facilities in south Georgia and Mississippi to ease overcrowding.

In a mixed ruling, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee determined Labat does not have the legal authority to transfer inmates to other states, but also dismissed allegations that he was violating his official duties by considering the transfer.

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‘Block Cop City’ Activists Plan Three Day Protest in Atlanta

Tom Pappert

Activists have announced a three-day protest against the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center will occur in November in what the organizers claim is a final bid to stop its construction.

The activists claim protest will occur from November 10-14, and are organizing it because their petition calling for a public referendum on the future of a facility that will train law enforcement and firefighters remains stalled with the City of Atlanta even though the public safety training center is nearly halfway complete.

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Georgia Power Needs More Fossil Fuels as Electric Vehicle Plants Generate ‘Extraordinary Economic Growth’

Tom Pappert

Georgia Power is asking the state’s Public Service Commission (PSC) for permission to generate more electricity from fossil fuels on Friday, citing demand for energy that is 17 times higher than they expected in 2022.

The company cited Georgia’s “extraordinary economic growth” as “one of the fastest growing states in the country” in an update to its 2023 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), which explained the company will need extra funding due to the “significantly increased” energy needs of businesses “bringing electrical loads at a scale” that demands additional capacity.

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Georgia DA Backed by Soros Group Sanctioned in Federal Sexual Discrimination Lawsuit

Tom Pappert

Chatham County District Attorney Shalena Cook Jones (D) was sanctioned by a federal judge on Thursday after she dodged a deposition in a sexual discrimination lawsuit launched by a former assistant district attorney.

During her successful 2020 campaign against Republican incumbent Meg Heap, a PAC connected to billionaire financier George Soros “invested nearly $80,000 into advertising materials” supporting Cook Jones, though Savannah Morning News reported she claimed to have no communication with the group.

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Former Election Auditor Bob Cheeley Refused Plea Deal in Georgia Trump Case, Lawyer Confirms

Tom Pappert

Atlanta-based attorney Bob Cheeley refused a plea deal offered by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis in her racketeering case against former President Donald Trump, his lawyer confirmed in a Thursday statement to CNN.

“To say that we are currently in discussions with the DA’s office would be an inaccurate representation of what is going on,” Cheeley’s attorney, Richard Rice, told the outlet. “They made us an offer some time ago and we declined it.”

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Georgia Law Means Fani Willis’ Plea Deal Recipient ‘Completely Exonerated’ After Probation

Tom Pappert

A Georgia law means defendants who reached plea deals with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis in the Georgia election case against former President Donald Trump will likely be “completely exonerated” after the terms of their sentencing are complete.

Georgia’s First Offender Act allows some guilty defendants, who were not previously convicted of a felony, to have the criminal charge against them removed from their criminal record after serving the terms of the sentence issued against them. At least two of the lawyers who entered into a plea agreement with Willis appear likely to receive first-offender status.

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Fulton County Judge Schedules First Hearing for Georgia Trump Trial

Tom Pappert

A Fulton County Judge set the first hearing date for the Georgia election trial of former President Donald Trump on Thursday. The former president’s counsel, Steve Sadow, will make his first appearance representing Trump at a Fulton County court on December 1.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee will hear arguments from Trump’s attorney and District Attorney Fani Willis on eight motions, each written submitted by another defendant and adopted by Trump.

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Atlanta Firefighters Union Warns City Has Worst Department Fleet in America with 17 Vehicles Down

Tom Pappert

The Atlanta Professional Firefighters addressed city leaders in a strongly worded letter on Tuesday, warning the city’s fleet of emergency response vehicles is in dire condition. Its letter came after Atlanta Fire and Rescue informed the city of its decision to formally close three fire stations due to vehicle and staffing issues.

In a letter obtained by Atlanta First News, firefighters claimed that many of Atlanta’s fire stations lack an actual fire engine with water capable of extinguishing a fire. They stated that this implies the actual number of non-operational fire stations is higher than the three identified by the city on Monday.

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VoterGA’s Garland Favorito Warns ‘Blatant Lies’ in Federal Trump Case Will ‘Influence, Manipulate’ 2024 Election Results

Tom Pappert

Garland Favorito of the Georgia election integrity group VoterGA warned in a press conference on Tuesday that special prosecutor Jack Smith’s case against former President Donald Trump is an attempt to smear Republicans with “blatant lies” before voters head to the polls in 2024.

Favorito highlighted Smith’s claims that Trump “spread lies that there had been outcome determinative fraud in the election,” ordered a false set of Electoral College certifications that purported to be from legitimate electors, and urged former Vice President Mike Pence to fraudulently alter the Electoral College votes on January 6 as easily disprovable lies designed to taint Republicans in to potential voters, then offered counterarguments to Smith’s accusations.

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Georgia Politician Loses Title in Official Sanction After She Allegedly Fabricated Date Rape Drug Story

Tom Pappert

A member of the Clayton County Commission was stripped of her title on Monday as part of an official sanction after her claims of being slipped the date rape drug at a Morrow bar were contradicted by a police investigation and video that appeared to show her consume at least five alcoholic drinks before losing consciousness.

The Clayton County Commission unanimously voted to sanction Commissioner Felicia Franklin and strip her from the vice chairman position, The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported. Franklin did not attend the meeting or participate in the vote.

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Atlanta Public Safety Training Center Nearly Halfway Complete, Mayor Claims

Tom Pappert

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said on Thursday that the city’s new Public Safety Training Center is about 40 percent complete, and he expects construction on the site’s buildings will begin in January.

Dickens told the Buckhead Young Republicans that the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center is nearly halfway complete, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The training center is located in Buckhead, the uptown commercial and residential district of Atlanta that has sought to become its own city, and the outlet noted that 61 percent of residents supported its construction in a March poll. 

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Attorney Ben Crump Claims Leonard Cure Was ‘Triggered’ by Georgia Deputy Before Fatal Shooting

Tom Pappert

The attorney representing the family of Leonard Cure, who a Georgia deputy fatally shot during a traffic stop, claimed on Friday that Cure was “triggered” by law enforcement before the struggle that preceded his death on October 16.

Cure was fatally shot by a Camden County Sheriff’s deputy last week when he refused to cooperate with the deputy after being pulled over for allegedly driving more than 100 miles per hour. Video released by the Camden County Sheriff’s office reveals that, after being tased, a struggle ensued between the deputy and Cure. It continued despite the deputy deploying his baton and striking Cure, and only ended when the deputy removed his pistol and appeared to fire once into Cure’s abdomen.

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Ken Chesebro Becomes Third Defendant to Accept Plea Deal in Georgia Election Case

Tom Pappert

Attorney Kenneth Chesebro entered a plea agreement with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis on Friday. Chesebro is the third defendant to accept a plea deal, following attorney Sidney Powell and bail bondsman Scott Hall.

Chesebro pleaded to just one felony count of conspiracy to commit filing false documents, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, which reported that Willis dropped the other six felony counts against him in exchange for a guilty plea and the promise to truthfully testify in upcoming trials.

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Sidney Powell’s Georgia Plea Deal Will Help President Trump, His Lawyer Claims

Tom Pappert

Former President Donald Trump will benefit from the plea deal Sidney Powell accepted from Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, according to Georgia lawyer Steve Sadow, who said Powell’s requirement to truthfully testify in upcoming trials related to the 2020 election in Georgia will help Trump.

Sadow said in a statement to The Messenger that Powell’s testimony, which is required as part of her plea deal, “will be favorable” to his defense strategy, “[a]ssuming truthful testimony in the Fulton County case.”

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Video Shows Wrongfully Convicted Man Struggled with Deputy Before Fatal Shooting, Family Blames ‘Psychological Trauma’

Tom Pappert

The family of Leonard Cure, a man fatally shot by Georgia law enforcement, seemed to blame mental illness after Camden County Sheriff Jim Proctor released videos showing the moments that preceded the fatal police shooting on October 16. Cure was once wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for over 16 years before he was released in 2020.

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Georgia Politician Refuses Calls to Resign After Video, Police Contradict Her Date Rape Drug Story

Tom Pappert

The Clayton County Commissioner who claimed she was slipped the date rape drug while at a live music event refused calls for her to resign on Tuesday, even after local police, a urinalysis test, and video recorded by the venue all seemed to contradict her story.

Clayton County Commissioner Felicia Franklin, who is running to become the board’s chairman, said during a commission meeting on Tuesday that she would only “resign as the District 3 commissioner” when she is “elected as Chairwoman of the Board of Commission,” according to WSB-TV.

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Mark Meadows’ Effort to Remove Georgia Election Case from Fulton County Granted 11th Circuit Court Date

Tom Pappert

The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals has ordered oral arguments on Monday for White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows’ bid to remove the racketeering case against him from Fulton County to a federal court. On Tuesday, the court requested additional arguments from District Attorney Fani Willis and Meadows’ lawyers, to be submitted early next month.

Meadows argues that he should not be tried in Fulton County because he a federal official working for former President Donald Trump at the time Willis alleges he engaged in criminal activities. A lower court agreed with Willis, who argued that Meadows’ efforts to contest the 2020 election results in Georgia went outside his job duties as Trump’s Chief of Staff.

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Georgia Flush with Nearly $11 Billion in Cash Reserves, $5.4 Billion in Rainy Day Fund: State Report

Tom Pappert

Georgia has accrued nearly $11 billion in cash reserves, invested the maximum legal amount into its rainy day fund, and tucked more than $2 billion into its lottery reserve fund, according to a government report published Monday.

The State Accounting Office published its report for the budget year ending in June 2023 this week, revealing the state has just over $10.7 billion cash on hand. Georgia also boasts almost $5.4 billion in its rainy day fund, which is at its constitutional limit, and $2.1 billion in its lottery reserve fund.

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Georgia State Senator Caught in Israel During Hamas Attack Praises Israelis for ‘Protecting Americans’

Tom Pappert

Georgia State Senator Russ Goodman (R-Cogdell) was in Israel with his mother on October 7, when Hamas fighters launched a horrific surprise attack on the country, and told The Georgia Star News he was thankful for Israelis for “protecting Americans” caught in the conflict.

In a statement released Thursday, Goodman relayed his first hand experiences “being in Israel while Hamas terrorists launched a sickening attack that killed hundreds of innocent Israelis,” and described “hearing the rockets fired from the Iron Dome to automatic weapon fire heard near our hotel,” as his  “ex-military Israeli guide” refused to leave his family “even as rockets landed within 200 yards of his home with his wife and children there.” The senator said he witnessed “the very best of the Israeli people,” and the experience left him convinced of “the bond that our freedom-loving countries share.”

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Georgia Buys $10 Million in Israel Bonds to Support Ally During Hamas Conflict

Tom Pappert

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp (R) announced on Friday that Georgia has purchased an additional $10 million in Israel bonds to support the country’s “defense efforts against the militant Hamas regime,” which began horrific surprise attacks against Israel on October 7.

Kemp announced the purchase on Friday morning in a press release that revealed $10 million “was the highest available on the market.” The latest buy brings Georgia’s total investment in Israel bonds to $25 million, and the governor noted Georgia has “purchased an aggregate of $50 million in bonds, with half the bonds now matured,” since he took office.

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Fani Willis Rebukes Congressional Oversight for Trump Case, Claims Jim Jordan’s Effort ‘Offensive to the Rule of Law’

Tom Pappert

Another letter sent by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) to U.S. Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH-04) was obtained by the media on Thursday. In the letter, Willis again rebuked Jordan’s requests for information about her case against former President Donald Trump, and denied the U.S. Constitution gives Congress oversight of her work.

In her letter, which is dated October 11, Willis accused Jordan of either being “ignorant of the United States and Georgia Constitutions and codes” or using his “authority as Chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary to attempt to obstruct and interfere” with her case against Trump.

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Federal Judge Denies Justice Department’s Latest Attempt to Block Georgia Voting Law

Tom Pappert

A federal judge denied a preliminary injunction request from President Joe Biden’s Department of Justice on Wednesday after the administration sought to stop enforcement of the 2021 Georgia voting law they claim discriminates against black voters.

United States District Judge J.P. Boulee ruled the Department of Justice is unlikely to prove any of its claims at trial, and denied the Biden administration’s request to pause portions of the law.

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Walmart, Archer Aviation Announce New Georgia Investments to Create 1,400 Jobs

Tom Pappert

Walmart and Archer Aviation both announced plans to invest in Georgia on Wednesday, and the companies’ plans will ultimately create more than 1,400 new jobs throughout the state.

A new milk processing facility was announced in the south Georgia city of Valdosta, and Walmart said the $350 million location will employ nearly 400 Georgians. Products bottled at the facility will include gallon and half gallon varieties of whole, 2 percent, 1 percent, skim, and 1 percent chocolate milk for the Great Value and Sam’s Club Member’s Mark brands, and they will be sold to 750 Walmart and Sam’s Club stores in Georgia and across the region.

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Fani Willis Wants Former Wisconsin GOP Chair, Ronna McDaniel, and Alex Jones to Testify in Georgia Election Trial

Tom Pappert

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis revealed three new witnesses she intends to call in the trial of pro-Trump attorneys Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell in filings made on Tuesday. Willis’ office named Republican National Committee (RNC) chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, Infowars radio host Alex Jones, and former Wisconsin Republican Party chairman Andrew Hitt in documents requesting their testimony.

Hitt was a Republican alternative elector in Wisconsin, and Willis claims he received an email from Chesebro on December 10, 2020, then met with Chesebro on December 14, as Wisconsin Republicans signed a document identifying themselves as Republican Electoral College electors.

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Fani Willis’ Office Failed to Meet Deadlines, Allowing Potentially Dangerous Defendants to Post Bail

Tom Pappert

A new report published Tuesday reveals Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ office has repeatedly failed to charge alleged criminals within a 90-day window from their arrest, forcing judges who previously denied them bail to renege and grant it, with at least 20 separate instances identified by 11 Alive.

Georgia law requires those who are arrested and refused bail to be formally indicted within 90 days, or else given bail, and 11 Alive claims court documents prove the county has failed to do this nearly two dozen times.

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Fani Willis Argues Attorney-Client Privilege Invalid for Lawyer Who Wrote Memos for Trump Campaign in Georgia

Tom Pappert

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis argued in a legal filing on Tuesday that attorney-client privilege should not be extended to legal memos and emails written by pro-Trump lawyer Kenneth Chesebro, who she indicted in August for the legal strategies he gave former President Donald Trump and his campaign in support of their 2020 election contest in Georgia.

In response to Chesebro’s request to have a handful of memos and emails stricken, citing his attorney-client privilege with the Trump campaign, Willis and Fulton County argued the “documents formed the bases for a criminal conspiracy” to “unlawfully overturn” the 2020 election results, and thus “cannot receive the protections afforded to lawful attorney communications or documents.”

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Georgia Senators File Ethics Complaint Against Fani Willis, Allege She ‘Cherry-Picked’ Cases over Personal Politics

Tom Pappert

Eight Georgia Senators have filed a formal ethics complaint against Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, alleging she prioritized cases based on her political ideology. The senators, all Republicans, filed the complaint on October 1 with the new Prosecuting Attorneys Qualification Commission.

The complaint, which was first reported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, has the support of Republican leadership in the Senate. The senators allege Willis “prioritized cases that align with her political party’s interests,” and ““improperly cherry-picked cases to further her personal political agenda,” according to The Messenger. While the complaint does not name former President Donald Trump, who was indicted by Willis in August, it does reference the 10 detainees who have died this year at Fulton County Jail while awaiting trial.

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Georgia Power to Pay over $400 Million to Settle Nuclear Energy Lawsuit as Rate Hikes Loom

Tom Pappert

Georgia Power Co. agreed to pay more than $400 million to settle a lawsuit on Friday, after Oglethorpe Power Corp. accused the utility company of failing to follow its financial commitments regarding maintenance of nuclear reactors at Plant Vogtle near Augusta. The company said it would take longer for the facility to become fully operational as a result, even as Georgia energy rates continue to increase.

The lawsuit was filed last year, reported The Associated Press, with Oglethorpe Power accusing Georgia Power of sticking them with nearly $700 million in additional costs by unilaterally changing a contract to make itself immune to cost overruns at the Plant Vogtle nuclear facility that is seven years behind schedule and $17 billion over budget.

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No Charges for Georgia State Troopers Who Shot Protester During Occupation of Atlanta Public Safety Training Center

Tom Pappert

Prosecutors are recommending zero charges for the Georgia State Patrol (GSP) troopers who responded to civil unrest at the future site of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Facility, according to a Friday report from the Mountain Circuit District Attorney’s Office. The report concerns the January 18 incident that saw one trooper shot by activist Manuel “Tortuguita” Terán, which prompted the troopers to return fire and fatally shoot Terán.

The report includes testimony from troopers who responded to the future site of the public safety training center on January 18, and prosecutors ultimately ruled that use of lethal force by GSP was “objectively reasonable under the circumstances of this case,” and thus requires no criminal charges.

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Pro-Trump Attorney Challenges Fani Willis on First Amendment, RICO Validity in Georgia Election Case Against Him

Tom Pappert

In a pair of legal filings submitted Friday, attorney Kenneth Chesebro claims the case levied against him by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis should be dismissed based on First Amendment protections, and that she has failed to prove the racketeering charges against him. Chesebro, an attorney who assisted with former President Donald Trump’s effort to contest the 2020 election, requested Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee hold a hearing for arguments related to the latest filings.

The pair of filings were submitted by Chesebro’s attorneys on Friday afternoon, which The Messenger notes is the final day for parties to file written responses, and follow McAfee’s decision to toss a separate motion to dismiss the indictment earlier that morning.

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Georgia High School Teacher Arrested over Inappropriate Relationship with Student

Tom Pappert

A Georgia high school teacher in Cobb County was arrested on October 4 and charged with sexual assault by a teacher and solicitation of sodomy over an alleged inappropriate relationship with a student.

Harrison High School social studies teacher Eric Taylor Butler was arrested for an alleged inappropriate sexual relationship with a student that began in June. The alleged abuse reportedly and continued until October 2, according to Atlanta First News, which reported the 28-year-old teacher allegedly carried on a relationship with a 16-year-old student.

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Fani Willis Seeks Testimony from Trump Ally Boris Epshteyn in First Georgia 2020 Election Trial

Tom Pappert

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) is seeking testimony from lawyer and political consultant Boris Epshteyn in the trial of lawyers Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell, according to a court filing made public Thursday.

Willis wants a Washington, D.C. judge to force Epshteyn, a longtime ally of former President Donald Trump, to testify about actions taken by Chesebro and Powell during Trump’s challenge of the 2020 election results. Fulton County promised Epshteyn will not be prosecuted for any information gleaned from his testimony.

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Georgia Republican Senators to Probe Fulton County Jail as Sheriff Moves Inmates to Mississippi

Tom Pappert

The Georgia Senate announced a new subcommittee to probe severe overcrowding and dangerous conditions at the Fulton County Jail on Thursday, with news breaking on Wednesday that State Senators John Albers (R-Alpharetta) and Randy Robertson (R-Cataula) will lead the probe.

The probe was revealed as activists gathered to protest Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat’s plan to relocate inmates to other facilities, including ones in South Georgia and Mississippi.

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Fani Willis Seeks to ‘Destroy Her Political Enemies,’ Warns Georgia GOP Chair After Legal Bills Pass $1 Million

Tom Pappert

Since 2022, the Georgia Republican Party has paid more than $1 million in legal bills for current and former officials embroiled in the racketeering case against former President Donald Trump and those who helped him contest the 2020 election in the state. 

Public records reveal the Georgia Republican Party has spent more than $1 million for the legal defense of State Senator Shawn Still (R-Johns Creek), former Georgia Republican Party Chairman David Shafer, and former Coffee County GOP Chair Cathy Latham since 2022. The three Republicans were indicted as part of Willis’s case against Trump for their role as alternative Republican electors during the 2020 election contest.

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Georgia Politician Says She Was Slipped Date Rape Drug at Sports Bar

Tom Pappert

Clayton County Commission chair Felicia Franklin claims she was given the date rape drug while attending a live music event in Morrow, Georgia last weekend.

Franklin claimed in a post on Facebook that medical professionals believe she “was drugged with a GHB pill, more commonly known as the ‘date rape pill,'” and said the experience had “shaken me to my core.”

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