A recent report has connected the dots between Donald Trump’s co-conspirators in Georgia, shedding light on a recurring pattern of behavior among the former president’s allies who seem poised to turn against him in order to protect themselves legally.
According to Politico, the report delves into the potential legal strategy of Mark Meadows, the former White House chief of staff, who is facing charges related to Trump’s alleged conspiracy to overturn the results of Georgia’s 2020 election. The report highlights court documents that strongly suggest Meadows may follow in the footsteps of other former Trump associates by pointing fingers at the ex-president and casting him as the “primary instigator” of the alleged racketeering operation they are accused of participating in.
During a recent hearing in Atlanta, Meadows’ defense attorney drew attention to Trump’s significant role in a pivotal element of the prosecutors’ case: the infamous January 2, 2021, phone call in which Trump urged Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a fellow Republican, to “find” enough votes to declare Trump the winner.
It was Meadows who had arranged this critical call. However, when prosecutors played the audio of the call in court, Meadows’ attorney emphasized that his client’s role in the conversation was relatively minor and less provocative compared to Trump’s.
Meadows’ lawyer, Michael Francisco, during his cross-examination of Raffensperger, pointed out, “There are numerous statements by Mr. Trump. Mr. Meadows’ participation was quite limited.”
Francisco continued, “He didn’t explicitly request that you alter the vote totals, did he?”
Raffensperger replied, “That’s correct.”
Politico’s reporting on Meadows ties into last month’s revelation that Yuscil Taveras, the IT director of Mar-a-Lago, had reportedly retracted his court testimony and provided information that could implicate the former president in attempts to erase security camera footage at the resort. This development strengthens the case against Trump’s alleged obstruction of justice and mishandling of classified materials. However, Politico also noted that David Shafer, Cathleen Latham, and Shawn Still have claimed in court filings that they were acting on instructions from Trump and his legal team. These three individuals were indicted as counterfeit electors who attempted to interfere with Georgia’s election results.
Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen remarked, “History has shown the 18 co-defendants that Donald doesn’t prioritize anyone but himself. I suspect it will be every defendant looking out for themselves.”
“History has shown the 18 co-defendants that Donald doesn’t care about anyone but himself,” said former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen. “I suspect it will be every defendant for himself.”
Here’s more of what Politico flagged from Meadows’ court documents:
Meadows made clear in his own testimony at last week’s hearing that Trump viewed the false electors as a significant part of his strategy to remain in power. He said he sent an email pushing the campaign to assemble those slates because he feared a tongue-lashing from Trump.
“What I didn’t want to happen was for the campaign to prevail in court action and not have this” lined up, he said.
“Why?” prosecutor Anna Cross asked him.
“Because I knew I’d be yelled at by the president of the United States,” he said.
