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Former President Donald Trump's defense effort in his Fulton County election interference case hit a snag on Monday when District Attorney Fani Willis requested a new protective order.
Trump is facing four criminal indictments leveled against him in the past year, one of which originates in Fulton County, Georgia, and stems from his and his associates' alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in the state, which Joe Biden narrowly won.
A key piece of evidence is his phone call with Brad Raffensperger in which Trump asked the Georgia secretary of state to "find" enough votes to secure his victory.
In August, a Fulton County grand jury voted to indict Trump and 18 others in connection with the case, charging the former president and every other co-defendant with at least one count of violating the Georgia Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all 13 counts he faces. He has also accused the investigation against him of being an attempt to disrupt his 2024 presidential campaign.
On Tuesday, Willis requested that a judge issue a new protective order over materials related to her office's investigation into Trump and his associates. The move came in the wake of various video interviews, including some with key figures like Jenna Ellis and Sidney Powell, being leaked to the public.
If granted, the order would make it so Willis' office would not have to produce copies of such video evidence, and would greatly limit the scope of the Trump defense team's ability to view them.
"Going forward, the State will not produce copies of confidential video recordings of proffers to any defendant to prevent further public disclosure," the order request reads. "Instead, defendants must come to the District Attorney's Office to view confidential video recordings of proffers. They may take notes, but they will be prohibited from creating any recordings or reproductions."
Newsweek reached out to Trump's office via email for comment.
The move by Willis came in the wake of a growing number of co-defendants in the case, including Ellis and Powell, accepting plea deals that will allow prosecutors to use them to testify at Trump's trial.
Trump, who again is running for president, is also facing criminal charges in three other cases for allegedly seeking to illegally overturn the results of the 2020 election, his handling of classified documents and hush money payments. He also is in the midst of a $250 million civil fraud trial.
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About the writer
Thomas Kika is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in upstate New York. His focus is reporting on crime and national ... Read more