Trump Co-Defendant Seeks Venue Change for Georgia Election Case

Defendant Harrison Floyd (L), a leader in the organization Black Voices for Trump, listens as Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis addresses the court during a hearing related to the Georgia election indictments, in Atlanta on Nov. 21, 2023. (Dennis Byron/Hip Hop Enquirer via AP)

Harrison Floyd, one of 18 people charged alongside former President Donald Trump in Georgia on racketeering charges over their challenge of the 2020 election results, is demanding a change of venue for his trial.

“Defendant Harrison Floyd contends that he cannot impanel a fair and impartial traverse jury in Fulton County, Georgia because of the media coverage, negative governmental press conferences, and the political bias of potential jurors,” reads the new motion.

Mr. Floyd is instead requesting trial in Coffee County, Georgia, where the local elections office is connected to charges brought against several of the other defendants.

Former co-defendants Sidney Powell and Scott Hall and co-defendants Misty Hampton and Cathleen Latham were involved in efforts to investigate voting machines in Coffee County. Ms. Powell and Mr. Hall have since taken plea bargains.

The indictment alleges the individuals willfully and unlawfully tampered with electronic ballot markers and tabulating machines and downloaded voter data.

Mr. Floyd is a former U.S. Marine and former Black Voices for Trump director. In addition to allegedly violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, Mr. Floyd was charged with conspiracy to commit solicitation of false statements and writing and influencing witnesses.

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The indictment alleges Mr. Floyd worked together with two other co-defendants to speak with election worker Ruby Freeman to obtain evidence of alleged election fraud in Georgia.

Threatened With More Jail Time

Since the indictment, Mr. Floyd has clashed with the prosecutors, resulting in a heated, hourslong hearing in which Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis argued Mr. Floyd should be jailed for his actions.

Mr. Floyd is the only one of the 18 original co-defendants who went to jail, after surrendering at the Fulton County Jail without first negotiating a bond agreement. He was held for five days, according to court records, and was later granted bond of $100,000.

Hours after his release, Mr. Floyd went on Steve Bannon’s “War Room” show and spoke about his case. He had later given other interviews, speaking about his case and the 2020 elections.

Mr. Floyd also made several social media posts referencing Ms. Freeman, who is named in the indictment and a witness in the case, effectively violating the bond conditions he agreed to.

Prosecutors requested an emergency hearing to revoke his bond, but after a lengthy hearing, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee found that social media had complicated matters and the “technical violation” of the bond did not require jail time in this case.

Mr. Floyd’s release conditions were modified the same day to prevent public comments concerning some of the case witnesses.

Previously, President Trump was the only co-defendant whose bond conditions included a prohibition of posting on social media about the case.