On a recent Newsmax broadcast, Pam Bondi, the former Attorney General of Florida and an adviser to ex-President Donald Trump, criticized Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis for the indictments filed against Trump and his 18 co-defendants in Georgia. Bondi declared on Newsmax’s “Saturday Report” that Willis’s desire to begin the trial on March 4, a day ahead of the “Super Tuesday” elections, amounted to “ultimate election interference.”
Bondi contended that Willis’s actions are seemingly aimed at blocking Trump, a major electoral contender, from playing an active role in the elections. “The steps she’s taking are both astonishing and preposterous,” Bondi said.
She went on to argue that Trump and his associates expressing their grievances about the election falls under “free speech” and shouldn’t be considered a crime. Bondi asserted that the case should be adjudicated at a federal level, calling the state-level indictment “ludicrous.”
Bondi also expressed doubt about the viability of the March 4 trial date, given the vast number of co-defendants and the magnitude of the indictment. “Historically, no case with such numerous co-defendants and such severe charges would proceed to trial in less than two years,” she noted.
Bondi then criticized Willis for prioritizing these charges against Trump while Georgia grapples with serious violent crime issues. She said that the type of racketeering charges Trump and others face are typically “designated for hardened criminals involved in severe offenses like drug trafficking.”
Commenting on the nature of the proceedings, Bondi speculated that Willis seeks attention. She mentioned that while defendants in Georgia can attend arraignments via video, Willis seemingly desires a public display by hosting the arraignment in the Fulton County Jail rather than the courthouse.
Bondi continued her criticism, suggesting Willis might be either “utterly inept or dishonest,” pointing to the early placement of Trump’s charges on a county website even before the indictments were officially released by the grand jury.
She also highlighted that Mark Meadows, Trump’s former Chief of Staff, is pushing for the case to be transferred to federal court. Bondi expects Trump to make a similar request, given their roles as federal officials during the time the purported offenses occurred. Bondi questioned Willis’s jurisdiction over the matter, implying it might be beyond her scope.
In summary, Bondi’s primary assertion was that Willis is using the case as a platform for publicity and questioned the validity and intent behind the entire legal process concerning the former president.
