This development signals indictments coming for Trump, allies: Kirschner

Charges are nearing for former President Donald Trump out of Georgia as Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis asked judges to clear their schedules during the first half of August, said legal analyst Glenn Kirschner.

According to a May 19 report from The New York Times, Willis, who is leading the investigation into whether Trump and his allies attempted to overturn the 2020 election result in her state, sent a letter to 21 Fulton County officials earlier this month announcing plans to have 70 percent of her staff work completely remote during the first three weeks of August.

Willis also asked judges at a courthouse in Atlanta not to schedule trials during part of that time as well.

The unusual request follows a few weeks after Willis wrote to local law enforcement agencies alerting them of impending indictments coming out of her office between July 11 and September 1, adding that “heightened security and preparedness” will be needed during that time.

Willis’ office has been investigating the former president for over two years, largely homing in on a phone call Trump made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger asking him to “find” enough votes to help him beat President Joe Biden.

According to a report from NBC News, which obtained a copy of Willis’ letter, the Georgia prosecutor did not give a reason for her request to local officials. However, Kirschner, a former federal prosecutor, said that the “extraordinary request” means that “a big old conspiracy indictment will be dropping in early August.”

“And Fani Willis and her prosecutors will be occupying the judge full time for two weeks, running all of the defendants who have been indicted through court,” Kirschner added, citing NBC News’ report in the latest episode of his Justice Matters podcast.

The former prosecutor noted a report from a special grand jury in Georgia, who heard evidence in Willis’ case for several months, which was released to the public in February. The partial report recommended indictments for over a dozen people, the Times reported.

“They are going to be in court as defendants in what I suspect will be a big old conspiracy case,” Kirschner said, speaking of the unknown individuals who were recommended to face charges by the special grand jury.

Kirschner also reflected on his experience as a federal prosecutor, saying that he “never did anything close” to Willis’ request during his 30 years in court.

“And that is a signal that makes it clear to this old prosecutor that indictments are coming in early August,” he continued. “I cannot envision District Attorney Fani Willis asking the court to stand down from doing all other business if she was not going to be indicting people and running them through court during those first two weeks in August.”

“So that is a big development. It’s a cryptic development, yes. But it’s a big development that signals indictments are coming,” he added.

Trump—who is already facing 34 felony fraud charges out of Manhattan as well as investigations into his involvement in classified documents kept at his personal estate and his alleged involvement in the riots at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021—has continuously denied any wrongdoing in Willis’ investigation.

The former president’s legal team filed a motion in March asking that all evidence in the case be deemed unconstitutional and that Willis be “disqualified from further involvement in this matter.” The Fulton County district attorney’s office responded to the request in May, asking the judge to dismiss the motion.

Newsweek emailed Trump’s press team for comment.