Fulton county’s Scott McAfee issues order after outlets published details of videotaped statements from former Trump lawyers
The Fulton county judge overseeing the 2020 election subversion case against Donald Trump and his top allies in Georgia issued on Thursday a protective order against the release of certain discovery materials, ruling that further leaks of evidence could taint the jury pool before trial.
The order entered by Fulton county superior court judge Scott McAfee came after media outlets published details of videotaped statements that former Trump lawyers Jenna Ellis, Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro gave as part of their plea deals.
The order prohibits the release of materials designated as “sensitive” – which is expected to include evidence such as the videos of “proffer” interviews with the lawyers.
Protective orders are common in criminal cases but the stakes are particularly high because Trump is a co-defendant and because of the possibility that some defense lawyers, such as those who objected to the order entirely, will challenge certain materials being labelled sensitive.
