First Trump crony hands himself in at jail ahead of ex-president's own arrival

23 August 2023 , 01:25

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Eastman was booked at the Fulton County jail and is expected to have an arraignment set in the coming weeks in the sprawling racketeering case (Image: AP)

The first of Donald Trump’s 18 cronies accused of an illegal plot to overturn the 2020 election loss has turned himself in to jail.

John Eastman, the conservative attorney who pushed a plan to keep the businessman in power, handed himself in to authorities yesterday. His appearance came as Trump, whose bond was set on Monday at $200,000 (£157,000), said he will surrender to authorities in Fulton County Jail, in Atlanta, Georgia, on Thursday. He is expected to have his mugshot taken.

Eastman was booked at the jail and is expected to have an arraignment set in the coming weeks in the sprawling racketeering case. He was indicted last week alongside Trump and 18 others, who are accused by District Attorney Fani Willis of scheming to subvert the will of Georgia voters following Joe Biden's victory over Trump in 2020.

She claims they did so in a desperate bid to keep Biden out of the White House. It was the fourth criminal case brought against the Republican former president. Eastman said in a statement provided by his lawyers that he was surrendering “to an indictment that should never have been brought.” He attacked the indictment for targeting “attorneys for their zealous advocacy on behalf of their clients”.

A mug shot of Trump-allied lawyer John Eastman’s surrender earlier today was released tonight by the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office (AP)

He added each of the 19 defendants was entitled to rely on the advice of lawyers and past legal precedent to challenge the results of the election. Bail bondsman Scott Hall, who was accused of participating in a breach of election equipment in rural Coffee County, also turned himself into the Fulton County Jail yesterday.

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Trump’s bond conditions prohibit him from intimidating co-defendants, witnesses or victims in the case, including on social media. Trump has a history of attacking the prosecutors leading the cases against him, including Willis, often using racist language and stereotypes.

Trump, whose bond was set on Monday at £157,000, said he will surrender to authorities in Fulton County on Thursday. He is expected to have his mugshot taken (AFP via Getty Images)

The nearly 100-page indictment details dozens of acts by the group to undo Trump’s defeat to Joe Biden. The tycoon, who is running for re-election to the White House next year, is charged with racketeering that carries up to 20 years in prison.

The group are also accused of pressuring Georgia’s secretary of state to find enough votes for him to win the state and a plot to steal data from a voting machine firm. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said: “The indictment alleges rather than abide by Georgia’s legal process for election challenges, the defendants engaged in a criminal racketeering enterprise to overturn Georgia’s presidential election result.”

Christopher Bucktin