Trump Surrenders in Georgia Election Plot Case

Former US President Donald Trump has surrendered in Georgia and is set to be arrested on charges of plotting to overturn the 2020 election results in the state. This development comes as half of Trump’s 18 co-defendants in the case have already been processed and arrested at the Atlanta jail earlier this week. Notably, if arrested, Trump will have to take the first-ever mugshot for a former American president.

This marks the fourth arrest in five months for Trump, who claims that the cases are politically motivated due to his leading position in the Republican race to challenge President Joe Biden in the upcoming presidential election. Trump left New Jersey on his private jet and arrived at the Fulton County Jail on Thursday, proudly announcing his impending arrest on social media.

To be released while awaiting trial, Trump will need to pay a bail bond of $200,000 (£157,000). Outside the jail, a group of his supporters gathered, while the facility itself is being investigated by federal authorities for alleged civil rights violations.

Last week, along with his co-defendants, Trump was charged with attempting to subvert the will of the Georgia electorate by interfering in the state’s election results following his loss to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020. In a recorded phone call, Trump was heard pressuring Georgia’s Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find 11,780 votes” during the ballot count.

The charges against Trump include racketeering, soliciting a public official to violate his oath of office, conspiracy to impersonate a public officer, conspiracy to commit forgery, and making false statements. However, he denies all these counts.

Among the recently booked co-accused at the jail are former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows. All 19 defendants had until noon on Friday to surrender, or arrest warrants would be issued against them.