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Former President Donald Trump shook up his Georgia legal team Thursday hours before his surrender to authorities in Fulton County.
Trump replaced lead attorney Drew Findling with Atlanta-based lawyer Steven Sadow, whose profile boasts of a career as a “special counsel for white collar and high-profile defense.” The move was not motivated by Findling’s performance, according to multiple reports.
“I have been retained to represent President Trump in the Fulton County, Georgia case. The president should never have been indicted. He is innocent of all the charges brought against him,” Sadow said in a statement. “We look forward to the case being dismissed or, if necessary, an unbiased, open minded jury finding the president not guilty. Prosecutions intended to advance or serve the ambitions and careers of political opponents of the president have no place in our justice system.”
Trump is expected to retain attorney Jennifer Little to work with Sadow in Georgia.
The legal team shakeup is the prelude to the circus that’s to come in Atlanta on Thursday night, when Trump is expected to surrender in prime time, a move reportedly made to maximize media coverage.
The Federal Aviation Administration has issued a temporary flight restriction in the airspace over Fulton County from 6:45 until 9 p.m. local time. The FAA’s listed reason: “VIP.”
The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office also said there will be a “hard lockdown” of the area around the jail.
Trump’s booking in the first step to answer for the 13 counts accusing him of trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia. Early reports suggest Trump will be booked around 7 p.m. ET. He’s not expected to enter a plea Thursday night.
Willis has proposed a Sept. 5 arraignment for Trump and the 18 co-defendants before a March trial date.
Trump is expected to have a mug shot taken upon arriving at the jail, Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat said earlier this month, “unless somebody tells me differently.”
Former Trump attorneys Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, John Eastman, and Jenna Ellis are among those who have had mugshots taken upon their surrender.
Trump’s bail was set at $200,000 on Tuesday, a negotiated amount that will help him breeze through his booking more quickly Thursday night.
Trump and 18 co-defendants stand accused of trying to overturn the state’s 2020 election results, with Fulton Country District Attorney Fani Willis opting to levy Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act charges, which likely explains Trump’s new choice of Sadow to lead his defense.
According to CNN, Sadow in 2021 foreshadowed Willis’ move and criticized the use of RICO charges as a path for prosecutors to introduce evidence that would not be admissible otherwise.
The indictment overall carries 41 counts against Trump and his allies, myriad attorneys, and campaign officials.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.