Lawyers close to the GOP witnesses in Georgia's Fulton County are preparing bids to shut down any possible indictments from the district attorney after the forewoman of the special grand jury investigating former President Donald Trump's post-election efforts gave public statements to news outlets.
Lawyers close to multiple Republican witnesses in the probe "are preparing to move to quash any possible indictments," CBS News' Robert Costa reported on Wednesday.
Forewoman Emily Kohrs on Tuesday revealed details about the probe to the New York Times, Associated Press, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, NBC News, and CNN. Georgia law bars special grand jurors from discussing deliberations but not other parts of the grand jury proceedings.
Trump's legal team is now monitoring the comments, including Kohrs' hints that the jury may have recommended indictments for over a dozen key players, according to CBS News.
The forewoman of the Georgia grand jury that investigated Trump’s alleged efforts to overturn the state’s 2020 election results hinted the jury may have recommended indictments for over a dozen key players.
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) February 22, 2023
Trump’s legal team is monitoring the comments, reports @costareports. pic.twitter.com/Ahpd9hwzPU
"Not gonna work," CNN legal analyst Norm Eisen said of the news.
Not gonna work https://t.co/mmzq5wVkc6
— Norm Eisen (@NormEisen) February 22, 2023
Former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti explained that these "efforts are likely going to fail, but this is still a distraction that will burden the Fulton County DA's office."
"Even if the motions fail, I expect the foreperson's comments to be used frequently by the defense, including at trial, to allege unfairness and bias," he predicts.
These efforts are likely going to fail, but this is still a distraction that will burden the Fulton County DA’s office.
— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) February 22, 2023
Even if the motions fail, I expect the foreperson’s comments to be used frequently by the defense, including at trial, to allege unfairness and bias. https://t.co/X1qlGzxubr
Georgia State law professor Anthony Michael Kreis rejected the idea that Kohrs may have undermined the work of the grand jury with her media appearances.
"Pure nonsense that's all for show," he said, referring to Trump's legal team. "They're trying to make this a circus."
Pure nonsense that's all for show. They're trying to make this a circus.
— Anthony Michael Kreis (@AnthonyMKreis) February 22, 2023
National security attorney Bradley Moss also explained that "two things can be true" regarding the situation.
"The little media tour the Georgia special grand jury foreperson did yesterday was obscenely stupid, ill-advised and inappropriate," he said, adding that it is also "highly unlikely the public remarks she made will undermine any actual indictments."
Two things can be true:
— Bradley P. Moss (@BradMossEsq) February 22, 2023
1) the little media tour the Georgia special grand jury foreperson did yesterday was obscenely stupid, ill-advised and inappropriate.
2) it is highly unlikely the public remarks she made will undermine any actual indictments.
MSNBC legal analyst Lisa Rubin detailed the entire situation in a Twitter thread, and explained that Kohrs' public statements are not "worth freaking out about."
"I'm not saying a future defendant won't make a motion of some kind based on her media tour," she added. "But given that GA special grand juries are investigative, not charging, bodies & that GA law, unlike federal law, favors public disclosure of grand jury proceedings, it'll likely fail."
I’m not saying a future defendant won’t make a motion of some kind based on her media tour. But given that GA special grand juries are investigative, not charging, bodies & that GA law, unlike federal law, favors public disclosure of grand jury proceedings, it’ll likely fail. 6/
— Lisa Rubin (@lawofruby) February 22, 2023
Trump also took to Truth Social on Wednesday to attack Kohrs and the entire investigation, calling it "an illegal Kangaroo Court."
"This Georgia case is ridiculous, a strictly political continuation of the greatest Witch Hunt of all time" the online rant began. "Now you have an extremely energetic young woman, the (get this!) 'foreperson' of the Racist D.A.'s Special Grand Jury, going around and doing a Media Tour revealing, incredibly, the Grand Jury's inner workings & thoughts."
"This is not JUSTICE," he continued. "This is an illegal Kangaroo Court. Atlanta is leading the Nation in Murder and other Violent Crimes. All I did is make TWO PERFECT PHONE CALLS!!!"
However, former federal prosecutor Joyce White Vance quickly disputed the former president's claims, simply writing, "This isn't true."
"As a prosecutor you don't want to see the foreperson speaking publicly but nothing she's said impacts a future indictment," she explained. "This is a preview of Trump in the criminal justice system-exploit every small misstep. When you come at the king, you'd better not miss."
This isn't true. As a prosecutor you don't want to see the foreperson speaking publicly but nothing she's said impacts a future indictment. This is a preview of Trump in the criminal justice system-exploit every small misstep. When you come at the king, you'd better not miss. https://t.co/URskdQmFkw
— Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) February 22, 2023
