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A judge on Monday set conditions for release for two of former President Donald Trump's co-defendants in the Fulton County case surrounding alleged interference attempts in the 2020 presidential election.
A grand jury in Fulton County, Georgia, indicted Trump and 18 of his allies last Monday following District Attorney Fani Willis' two-and-a-half year investigation into the ex-president's alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in the state, which was narrowly won by President Joe Biden.
The probe focused on Trump's call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, in which Trump allegedly asked him to find enough votes to tilt the election in his favor, as well as an alleged plot to submit a false slate of pro-Trump electors to the Electoral College. Trump has maintained his innocence in the case, saying he did nothing wrong and that he's being targeted for political reasons as he runs for reelection in 2024.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, who is presiding over the case, on Monday set bail for co-defendants John Eastman and Scott Hall, according to documents from the Fulton County Clerk's Office.
Bond was set at $100,000 for Eastman, a former Trump attorney, and $10,000 for Hall, a bail bondsman, according to the documents. They are able to post bond as cash, commercial surety or through Fulton County's Jail 10 percent program.
Eastman was accused of nine counts including racketeering; solicitation of violation of oath by public officer; conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree; conspiracy to commit false statements and writings; conspiracy to commit filing false documents; and filing false documents.
Meanwhile, the indictment accused Hall of seven counts including racketeering; conspiracy to commit election fraud; conspiracy to commit computer theft; conspiracy to commit computer trespass; conspiracy to commit computer invasion of privacy; and conspiracy to defraud the state.
Newsweek reached out to attorneys for Eastman and Hall for comment via online contact form and email respectively.
Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told Newsweek on Monday that the decision is "surprising because they aren't flight risks or dangerous."
"But it may be because the judge does not want to deviate from the 'normal' bail schedule, even though this case is anything but normal. That's why Trump may have his mugshot taken for the first time, even though it was not taken in the previous cases," Rahmani said in a statement.
He added that it remains unlikely that the judge would require bail from Trump himself.
"I still think it's highly unlikely the judge sets bail for the former president, but if he does, it's to send a message to Trump that he will be treated like any other defendant," Rahmani said, adding that the conditions of his release will be the more important issue.
Dave Aronberg, the state attorney for Palm Beach County, Florida, told Newsweek on Monday that these bonds are common in states like Georgia.
"These bonds are common in states like Georgia and Florida. New York largely eliminated cash bonds, so Trump can thank the criminal justice reformers that he routinely bashes for that," he said.
Update 8/21/2023, 4:15 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
About the writer
Andrew Stanton is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in Maine. His role is reporting on U.S. politics and social issues. ... Read more