Trump Prosecutor Fani Willis Makes ‘Emergency’ Request for Protective Order

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Fani Willis, Georgia Prosecutor, Seeks Protective Order in Trump Case

In a significant development in the ongoing legal proceedings against former President Donald Trump and more than a dozen others, Georgia prosecutor Fani Willis has filed an urgent request for a protective order. The District Attorney of Fulton County, Willis, urged a judge to issue an “emergency renewed motion” to safeguard discovery materials in the case, as stated in court documents submitted on Tuesday.

The request aims to secure a wide array of sensitive materials, including witness statements, personal data of witnesses, government agency records, grand jury materials, confidential communications, business records, and documents obtained under sealed orders. This move follows previous efforts by Willis’s office to secure an emergency protective order for certain case materials.

This urgent action was prompted by the recent leak of recorded statements from four defendants who accepted plea deals, as reported by media outlets like the Washington Post and ABC News. These defendants, including Kenneth Chesebro, Sidney Powell, Jenna Ellis, and Scott Hall, had provided their statements to Fulton County prosecutors. Willis, a member of the Democratic Party, highlighted the leakage of these statements in her recent filing.

The prosecutors have also decided not to provide defense attorneys with “confidential video recordings of proffers,” allowing them only to view these materials at the district attorney’s office. The office strictly prohibits recording these statements, though notes can be taken.

The filing emphasizes that the release of these confidential recordings is seen as an intimidation tactic against witnesses, potentially leading to harassment and threats before the trial. This act is considered a violation of justice administration and the conditions of release imposed on each defendant.

In addition to requesting the emergency order, Willis’s office is seeking an emergency hearing on a motion filed in September for a permanent order. Legal experts, including former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama Joyce Vance, have expressed surprise at the absence of an existing protective order.

**Content of the Leaked Statements**

The leaked videos revealed statements by Sidney Powell, a former federal prosecutor, where she acknowledged her frequent communication with President Trump post-2020 election but admitted to limited knowledge of election law. Contradicting her claims, the former president has stated he never retained Powell as part of his election team, a fact her attorneys confirmed in August 2023.

In her statement, Powell said, “Did I know anything about election law? No. But I understand fraud from having been a prosecutor for 10 years, and knew generally what the fraud suit should be if the evidence showed what I thought it showed.”

Powell also indicated her belief that Trump had not lost the election and explored avenues to retain his presidency, as per ABC News. In response, President Trump’s attorney, Steve Sadow, dismissed these statements as “absolutely meaningless” and criticized the nature of the evidence being used by DA Willis.

Following the leaks, defendant Harrison Floyd commented on the situation, accusing the leaks of aiming to bias the jury pool. Meanwhile, President Trump, addressing Powell’s plea deal, clarified on Truth Social that she was never his attorney.