Many of the fake electors and co-conspirators from former President Donald Trump’s alleged election interference scheme in Georgia are “perfectly” positioned to flip on him, according to former federal prosecutor Glenn Kirschner.
Trump last month was hit with his fourth criminal indictment, this time stemming from his alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia using a slate of fake electors. Resulting from a long-term investigation led by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, Trump, and 18 other co-defendants, were charged with state-level violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, among other charges. Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him, as he has done for all of the other cases he is embroiled in.
Among the co-defendants in the case, several, including former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, attempted to petition for their cases to be moved to a federal court, which could result in a friendlier Trump-appointed judge and a friendly jury pool. Meadows’ bid was ultimately rejected by a Northern District of Georgia judge and had been questioned by legal experts, since it required him to be questioned under oath prior to his actual trial.
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Appearing on MSNBC’s The Katie Phang Show on Sunday, Kirschner, who spent decades as a U.S. attorney before becoming a legal analyst with staunchly critical views of Trump for various news outlets, told host Katie Phang that he would advise the co-defendants to withdraw their motions for removal, adding that they are well-positioned to flip on Trump moving forward.
“[I would] say, ‘It’s time to withdraw your motion, your attempt to have your case transferred to federal court, and it’s time to cut a deal,'” Kirschner said. “I mean, many of these fake electors have already gone on record as saying, ‘We were acting at Donald Trump’s direction.’ That perfectly positions them to be cooperating witnesses.”
Newsweek reached out to other legal experts via email for comment.
During his arraignment hearing in Fulton County, Georgia, Trump indicated to a judge that he “may” be considering a similar motion to request that his case be moved to a federal court. The former president previously attempted such a request for his state charges in New York, but was shot down by a judge.
Legal experts have suggested that Trump might find more success with this tactic in Georgia, given that his alleged conduct was more closely tied to his official duties during his time as president, but Meadows’ rejection on similar grounds cast uncertainty onto the possibility.