Former President Donald Trump plans to surrender to authorities in Georgia on Thursday for his official arrest and arraignment on the criminal charges brought against him in the RICO election interference case in the state.
Over the last few days, Trump’s legal team has been negotiating with prosecutors in Georgia over the terms of his bail and release, which have been locked down in advance of his surrender.
On Monday, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who led the years-long investigation into Trump’s involvement in the 2020 presidential election interference in Georgia, announced the various terms of his bond and release.
In addition to having to fork over a bond of $200,000, Trump has to sign off on the agreed-to requirements of his release to remain out of jail while he awaits trial. Some of these stipulations include not committing another crime, going to court for all required appearances, as well as refraining from making any “direct or indirect threat of any nature” against any unindicted co-conspirator, victim, witness or co-defendant.
In addition, Trump must agree to not make a “direct or indirect threat of any nature against the community or to any property in the community.”
What’s more, all of these restrictions apply not only to words he says in the media or to people in person, but also to “posts on social media or reposts of posts made by another individual on social media.”
Ultimately, prosecutors in Georgia are trying to prevent Trump from attacking any judges, witnesses or investigators tied to the case, which could be seen as a way to intimidate them. The prosecutors are particularly concerned based on Trump’s past conduct on social media, in which he routinely attacks those who are against him.
Just last week, for instance, Trump directed a post on his social media platform Truth Social toward Geoff Duncan, the lieutenant governor of Georgia. He wrote:
“I am reading reports that failed former Lt. Governor of Georgia, Jeff Duncan, will be testifying before the Fulton County Grand Jury. He shouldn’t. I barely know him but he was, right from the beginning of this Witch Hunt, a nasty disaster for those looking into the Election Fraud that took place in Georgia.
“He refused having a Special Session to find out what went on, became very unpopular with Republicans (I refused to endorse him!) and fought the TRUTH all the way.”
This could easily be seen as witness intimidation, considering how wide the former president’s reach and influence is on social media.
Federal prosecutors are also concerned with this exact same thing in relation to the two indictments that have been handed down against the former president on the federal level.
The office of Special Counsel Jack Smith requested and was granted a partial protective order that restricts the former president’s ability to distribute any evidence given to him as part of the discovery stages of his federal election meddling case.
