Trump's Trials - In Florida a motion to dismiss, in Georgia an election

Episode Date: May 22, 2024

For this episode of Trump's Trials, All Things Considered host Ailsa Chang speaks with NPR correspondent Greg Allen.In Florida, Federal Judge Aileen Cannon held a pre-trial hearing on Wednesday to dismiss the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump and two co-defendants.And in Georgia, both the prosecutor and judge in Trump's election interference case have won elections. Prosecutor Fani Willis won her Democratic primary and will face a Republican who interned in the Trump White House in the general election in November. Meanwhile, Judge Scott McAfee, who's overseeing the election interference case easily won his election to his first full term after being appointed last year. Topics include:- Florida classified documents case- Fulton County DA Fani Willis- Judge Scott McAfeeFollow the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify for new episodes each Saturday.Sign up for sponsor-free episodes and support NPR's political journalism at plus.npr.org/trumpstrials.Email the show at [e-mail] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

It's Trump's Trials from NPR. I'm Scott Detro. As we wait for former President Donald Trump's New York criminal trial to resume with closing arguments next week, we've got some news out of Florida and Georgia. In Florida, Judge Eileen Cannon held a pre-trial hearing in the classified documents case on two motions to dismiss. They were filed by Trump's co-defendant and aide, Walt Nauta. Now remember, Cannon, who was appointed by Trump, recently delayed this trial indefinitely. Then in Georgia, Trump is not the only one on the ballot.

Fulton County District Attorney Fonny Willis and the judge overseeing the election interference case Scott McCaffey, both won their respective elections last night. This is after a year where there was an intense focus on Willis's personal relationships and how they affected the Trump case, as well as McCaffey's ruling allowing her to remain in charge of it. Stick around and we will break down everything that happened in that Florida courtroom and in that Georgia primary. On this week's episode of Wild Card, poet laureate Ada Lamone tells us how to give yourself a little grace. The nice thing about being in my mid to late 40s,

yeah, I forgive myself all the time. Join me, Rachel Martin, for NPR's new podcast, Wild Card, the game where cards control the conversation. The day's top headlines, local stories from your community, your next podcast binge listen. You can have it all in one place, your next podcast binge listen. You can have it all in one place, your pocket. Download the NPR app today.

You're listening to Trump's Trials. I'm Scott Detro. And now here's Ari Shapiro. We've been hearing a lot about Donald Trump's criminal trial in New York for making hush money payments. Well, while that one's on pause through the long weekend, lawyers for Trump and two co-defendants appeared in a Florida court today. In that case, the former president is charged with taking classified and top secret material to Mar-a-Lago when he left the White House, then conspiring to hide those documents from federal investigators. And Pierce, Greg Allen is at the courthouse in Fort Pierce, Florida.

Hey, Greg. Hi, Ari.thouse in Fort Pierce, Florida. Hey, Greg. Hi, Ari. Tell us what happened in court today. Well, defense attorneys asked U.S. District Judge Eileen Cannon to dismiss the charges against their clients. They say this case is politically motivated and that the prosecution is, quote, selective and vindictive. Former President Trump wasn't here today, but he skipped the session, but his two co-defendants were here. The court heard two motions, both filed by Trump's aide, Walt Nauta. Nauta is charged with moving boxes containing classified documents to different locations at Mar-a-Lago in an alleged attempt to hide them from federal investigators and then lying

about it afterwards. Nauta's attorney, Stanley Woodward, told the judge he believes his client is being prosecuted because he refused to cooperate with the government's case against his boss. When Nodder refused to be a witness against Trump, Woodward says prosecutors retaliated by in his words shoehorning him into the indictment of the former president. Judge Cannon, who's a Trump appointee and has been criticized for some rulings in favor of the defense, seemed skeptical today. She said, isn't that a fairly standard way to try to get attorneys to convince a client

to cooperate? Running theme here across these trials, it sounds like there were some testy moments in the courtroom. Tell us about them. Yes, nothing like we saw in New York, but much for us. There was a lot of attention devoted to a meeting in August of 2022 between prosecutor Jay Bratt and Stanley Woodward, who just came on as not as attorney. Woodward said he was under consideration for a federal judicial appointment at the time, Jay Bratt, and Stanley Woodward, who just came on as not as attorney. Woodward said he was under consideration for a federal judicial appointment at the time, and that Bratt mentioned it at the meeting. Woodward says he believes it was intended

to send him a message that he should convince his client to cooperate with the investigation, or in his words, it could mess up his potential judgeship. Prosecutor David Harbach, who was talking to the judge about this, called that description of the meeting a fantasy, and that that Brats passing comments were being taken out of context. He became agitated at one point when Judge Cannon pressed him on the issue and she had to admonish him to calm down.

And tell us about the motion to dismiss that was argued today. What was that about? Well, the motion involved all three co-defendants, Nada's lawyer Stanley Woodward made a technical argument as he termed it that focuses on how the indictment is worded. He encouraged the judge to throw out several counts. One example were two counts in which Nauta and Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos de la Vera are charged with attempting to get the club's IT supervisor to delete video footage from surveillance cameras. The IT guy said he couldn't do it and the footage wasn't deleted, but because of that Woodward says no crime was committed. It was just a conversation

he said. It's not illegal to talk about something. Prosecutors say that was all part of the overall conspiracy to obstruct the government investigation and that these are matters in any case that the court should leave to the jury to decide. Judge Cannon didn't indicate on either of the motions when she would have a ruling today. I can hear that siren there behind you. Let me ask about timing because the trial was supposed to have started this week. The judge indefinitely postponed the start date. Any idea of when it might actually get underway? No, no sign of that at this point. There are by my count nearly a dozen motions filed by Trump's lawyers still pending before the court. The judge has also yet

has to have important hearings on how classified material will be handled. She says she's gonna take up that issue in July, which makes it eight months behind schedule. And it's beginning to look less and less likely that the trial will begin before the presidential election. And of course, if Trump wins because it's a federal case, he'd have the power to shut down the Department of Justice case. It's I'm Piers Greg Allen in Fort Pierce, Florida. Thanks. You're welcome.

And now here's Leila Fadl. The prosecutor and judge overseeing the Georgia criminal case against former President Donald Trump have both easily defeated challengers in local elections. Fulton County District Attorney Fannie Willis won the Democratic primary yesterday and Judge Scott McCaffey won a full term on the bench. WABE's Sam Greenglass reports from Atlanta. Trump is facing criminal charges in multiple jurisdictions.

But in the Georgia case, other key players are also facing voters this year. At Mutation Brewing, McAfee supporters mingled around a bar decorated with stars and stripes, sipping brews with names like the Teddy Bruisevel as returns trickled in. McAfee was 33 when he was appointed to a vacancy on the Fulton Superior Court. A few months later, the court randomly assigned McAfee the Trump case. Now that the judge has won his first campaign, he says he's ready to get back to his docket. The message here that I'm getting is that I need to get back to work, to get back in the courtroom and keep doing what we've been doing, which is to get both sides of their

fair day in court to be treated with respect and to get the job done. Despite pushback from their election opponents over the Trump case, McAfee and Willis were buoyed by their prominent roles in those proceedings. Willis is the county's first black woman DA and has become a household name for prosecuting Trump. The path has not always been easy. McAfee allowed Willis to stay on Trump's case if a prosecutor she'd had a relationship with resigned.

This month, an appeals court agreed to review that decision, further dimming chances of a trial this year. At a historic mansion, Willis celebrated her win with a live band and flowing drinks. Every now and then you get to stop and smell the roses. And tonight we're going to stop and smell these roses. The D.A. drinking Grey Goose in case anybody wondered. While McAfee has secured his seat by winning his nonpartisan election, Willis still faces a Republican challenger this fall.

That GOP opponent served on Trump's Georgia legal team after the 2020 election. In her victory speech, Willis stressed her commitment to equal justice despite her critics. There is no one above the law in this country, nor is there anyone beneath it. With Tuesday's campaign wrapped up, the Trump case chugs on. Pre-trial hearings continue next week. For NPR News, I'm Sam Greenglass in Atlanta. Thanks for listening to Trump's Trials from NPR. Keep an eye out for more episodes like this whenever big news happens.

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