English
Estonian
Latvian
Lithuanian
Polish
Romanian
Russian
Ukrainian
Former President Donald Trump’s legal team is welcoming a bizarre media blitz by the Fulton County grand jury foreperson Emily Kohrs, who grinned as she appeared recently on some TV networks and hinted at dozens of potential indictments.
Alina Habba, an attorney working for Mr. Trump, told The Washington Times that the interviews could jeopardize the entire investigation of Mr. Trump and his allies by showing bias against potential defendants.
“It’s just more evidence of an out-of-control justice system,” she said.
Ms. Kohrs, who according to CNN is in her 30s and between customer service jobs, did not vote in the 2020 election. But she is playing a key role in potential prosecutions related to violations of Georgia election law, as a member of the recently disbanded Fulton County special grand jury.
In Ms. Habba’s view, Ms. Kohrs is interested in maintaining the spotlight instead of preserving the integrity of any probe or case.
“She clearly doesn’t even understand the parameters of her obligations, but could be the person recommending an indictment of a president. How could any reasonable person view this as an impartial process after this bizarre media blitz by the jury forewoman?” Ms. Habba said.
Ms. Kohrs was foreperson of the special grand jury commissioned by Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis, a Democrat, who is probing whether Mr. Trump and allies violated state election laws in the wake of the 2020 election that President Biden won.
They launched the investigation after an audio tape surfaced of a phone call in which Mr. Trump urged Republican state election officials to “find” enough votes for him to win Georgia.
A county judge has ordered that the special grand jury’s deliberations are to be kept secret.
But in one network TV interview, Ms. Kohrs suggested there could be dozens of indictments coming down the pike.
“I will tell you, it’s not a short list. We saw 75 people. … There are certainly names that you would recognize,” she told NBC News. “There are definitely some names you would expect.”
During an appearance on CNN, Ms. Kohrs revealed, “We definitely heard a lot about former President Trump, and we definitely just discussed him a lot in the room. And I will say that when this list comes out, you wouldn’t — there are no major plot twists waiting for you.”
Ms. Willis’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Ms. Kohrs’ media appearances and how — or whether — they’ll impact potential prosecutions.
It is unclear whether Mr. Trump will be indicted, but he has denied any wrongdoing.
Ms. Kohrs was one of more than a dozen members serving on the special grand jury.
The exact number is a mystery. In the CNN interview, she said there were 16 random people selected to serve, while other reports have suggested 24 members were serving as part of the grand jury probe.
The special grand jury made recommendations about potential indictments, but the recommendations have not been made public. If Ms. Willis decides to seek indictments, she will need to empanel a new grand jury.
A grand jury hears evidence from the prosecution and witnesses — but defense counsel does not participate or present the opposite side of a case. If the jury believes there’s enough evidence to go forward with a case, then the prosecution may issue an indictment. The standard is much lower than in a criminal trial, where the state must prove the defendant is guilty beyond all reasonable doubt.
