During a recent segment on CNN’s The Situation Room, anchor Wolf Blitzer and legal analyst Norm Eisen discussed the unfolding developments in the Georgia election crimes case, which has garnered significant attention due to its connection to former President Donald Trump. Blitzer highlighted the gravity of the situation, characterizing the reported plea deals of multiple co-defendants as “really, really bad news” for Trump.
CNN Senior Crime and Justice Reporter Katelyn Polantz provided intricate details about the case, revealing that at least six additional co-defendants in the Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ investigation have been approached for potential plea deals. Polantz underscored the domino effect triggered by the initial agreements, emphasizing the growing momentum of the prosecution’s efforts to secure cooperation from various individuals connected to the case.
Wolf, we now know that at least six co-defendants of Donald Trump have had plea deals put on the table before them, and we’re waiting to see what they do.
So, right now, 19 defendants, four of them, already took plea deals. Those four people all agreed to cooperate. That includes some top lawyers. And with those initial plea deals, Sidney Powell’s, Jenna Ellis’, Scott Hall’s, and Ken Cheseboro’s, the dominoes then start to fall. And so prosecutors go reach out to others, these six others, at least six other co-defendants, to see if they want to take deals. Those are people like a campaign official, another pro-Trump lawyer. And so we’re going to wait and see what happens with them.
…We do know from our team of reporters that there are four people right now who haven’t been offered plea deals in this case that are on the table from Fulton County, Georgia. Those are some of the biggest names in this case, Mark Meadows, Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, and, of course, Donald Trump himself. So, no offers of guilty pleas for those four from the Georgia prosecutors at this time.
Moreover, CNN’s report shed light on the rejection of a plea deal by one of the six individuals, Robert Cheeley, as confirmed by Cheeley’s attorney, adding a layer of complexity to the unfolding legal drama.
Eisen, the legal analyst, echoed the sentiment expressed by Blitzer, emphasizing the severity of the implications for Trump and other high-profile individuals like Mark Meadows, Rudy Giuliani, and John Eastman, who are currently under scrutiny. Eisen emphasized the significance of the cooperating witnesses, particularly the power they hold in bolstering the case against Trump and other key figures. He commended the strategic approach taken by Fani Willis, noting her methodical progression up the legal hierarchy, which has undoubtedly caused heightened anxiety within Trump’s circle.
Eisen further highlighted the potential focus of the next plea deal, suggesting that it could revolve around instances of threats and intimidation directed at election workers, hinting at the possibility of expanding the scope of the investigation. Blitzer concurred, emphasizing the profound implications of these developments for Trump’s legal standing, ultimately emphasizing the potentially dire consequences of the unfolding situation.
BLITZER: Norm, in the Georgia case, how worried should Trump be about prosecutors discussing potential plea deals now with at least six additional co-defendants?
EISEN: He should be very worried, Wolf, and so should the other individuals who are at the very top of the caption of this indictment, Meadows, Giuliani, Eastman, because with the three plea deals that we have from lawyers who are involved already, they are powerful witnesses against Trump and the others, and now, six more. Fani Willis is masterfully working her way, as we say, up the food chain to the big fish. It should be very anxiety-provoking.
And I’m looking for the next plea deal to be in the area of those threats and intimidation against the election workers. We haven’t seen somebody flip there yet. That may be one of the other unnamed targets of a plea deal to build this case out.
BLITZER: Good point for Trump. These plea deals are really, really bad news, legal news for him.
