Trump surrenders to face Georgia election charges, mug shot released

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Former President Donald Trump turned himself in to authorities at the Fulton County Jail on Thursday after he and 18 others were indicted in a yearslong investigation into election interference in Georgia, WSB-TV reported.

>> Read more trending news

Trump faces 13 charges, including violation of Georgia’s RICO Act, filing false documents and several conspiracy charges. He is accused of heading a scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia, which he lost to President Joe Biden by 11,779 votes, according to WSB.

Trump returns to New Jersey

Update 10:40 p.m. EDT Aug. 24: Trump’s plane landed around 10:30 p.m. EDT at New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport, according to CNN and NBC News.

The former president is expected to return to his golf club in Bedminster on Thursday night.

Trump shares mug shot on X, formerly known as Twitter

Update 10:10 p.m. EDT Aug. 24: For the first time since 2021, Trump took to the social media site X, formerly known as Twitter, to share his mug shot after he surrendered to authorities in Fulton County on Thursday.

“ELECTION INTERFERENCE,” the former president wrote. “NEVER SURRENDER!”

See the mug shots of the 12 people booked in the Georgia election interference case

Update 8:55 p.m. EDT Aug. 24: As of Thursday night, 12 of the 19 people charged in the long-running investigation into interference in the 2020 presidential election in Georgia have surrendered to authorities.

0 of 22

Fulton County Sheriff’s Office releases Trump’s mug shot

Update 8:50 p.m. EDT Aug. 24: Officials with the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday released Trump’s mug shot.

Although the charges in Georgia were part of the fourth indictment leveled against the former president, Thursday’s arrest marked the first in which a mug shot was taken.

Trump leaves Atlanta after booking

Update 8:45 p.m. EDT Aug. 24: The former president has left Atlanta to return to Newark, New Jersey, WSB reported.

Trump: ‘You should be able to challenge an election’

Update 8:20 p.m. EDT Aug. 24: Speaking to reporters after being released from Fulton County Jail on Thursday, Trump said that he and the others charged in Georgia had “every right, every single right to challenge an election that we think is dishonest.”

“You should be able to challenge an election,” he said. “I thought the election was a rigged election, a stolen election and I should have every right to do that.”

He repeated that he “did nothing wrong” and that the charges filed against him in Georgia, Florida, New York and Washington constituted “election interference.”

Trump is facing charges in Florida related to his handling of classified documents taken from the White House. In New York, he has been charged with falsifying business records in a case involving hush-money payments made ahead of the 2016 presidential election. In Washington, he has been charged in connection with attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

See scenes from Fulton County

Update 8:05 p.m. EDT Aug. 24: Photos showed the preparations made as Trump headed for Fulton County Jail on Thursday evening.

0 of 8

Trump released on bond

Update 7:55 p.m. EDT Aug. 24: The former president has been released from Fulton County Jail on bond, according to jail records and WSB.

Earlier, attorneys for Trump negotiated a $200,000 bond for their client. As part of the agreement with prosecutors, authorities said Trump would be required to appear in court as directed and barred from communicating with witnesses or any of his 18 co-defendants. He is also prohibited from intimidating witnesses, co-defendants and others.

Trump booked into Fulton County Jail

Update 7:45 p.m. EDT Aug. 24: Jail records show that Trump has been booked into Fulton County Jail to face charges following his indictment last week.

The former president is facing 13 charges, including violation of Georgia’s RICO Act and several conspiracy charges. He has denied any wrongdoing, saying that the charges are politically motivated ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

Trump arrives at Fulton County Jail

Update 7:35 p.m. EDT Aug. 24: Trump has arrived at Fulton County Jail, where he is expected to be booked, processed and released on bond following his indictment last week, WSB reported.

The former president earlier said he would be arrested at 7:30 p.m.

Motorcade takes Trump from airport toward jail

Update 7:30 p.m. EDT Aug. 24: Trump left Atlanta’s Hartfield-Jackson International Airport on Thursday after traveling from New Jersey to be booked and processed at Fulton County Jail.

Trump arrives in Georgia

Update 7:10 p.m. EDT Aug. 24: Trump’s plane landed at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Thursday evening as he prepared to surrender to authorities in Fulton County, WSB reported.

A motorcade is expected to escort him to Fulton County Jail, according to the news station.

11 of 19 suspects have so far surrendered

Update 7:05 p.m. EDT Aug. 24: As of Thursday evening, 11 of the 19 people charged last week following an investigation into election interference in Georgia have turned themselves in at Fulton County Jail.

Jail records show the following people have been processed at the jail:

• Former Black Voices for Trump executive director Harrison Floyd.
• Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows.
• Attorney Rudy Giuliani.
• Attorney Jenna Ellis.
• Attorney Sidney Powell.
• Attorney Kenneth Chesebro.
• Attorney Ray Smith.
• Attorney John Eastman.
• Former Coffee County Republican Party chairwoman Cathy Latham.
• Former Georgia GOP chairman David Shafer.
• Bail bondsman Scott Hall.

Judge orders hearing for Jeffrey Clark’s request

Update 5:28 p.m. EDT Aug. 24: U.S. District Judge Steve Jones ordered a hearing on Sept. 18 following Jeffrey Clark’s request to move his case from state to federal court, CNN reported.

Clark is a former Justice Department official, according to CNN.

— Jessica Goodman, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Trump en route from New Jersey to Georgia

Update 4:31 p.m. EDT Aug. 24: Trump has left his Bedminster, New Jersey golf club for Atlanta, according to CNN. Trump is expected to surrender and be booked for over a dozen charges, the New York Times reported.

Trump’s motorcade pulled into Newark Liberty International Airport and is expected to arrive at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport around 6:45 p.m., according to WSB.

Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee scheduled Ken Chesebro’s trial for October 23, according to a court filing obtained by CNN. This order reportedly does not apply to other co-defendants yet. Trump is opposing having the trial start so soon.

Chesebro had requested a speedy trial and under Georgia’s speedy trial law, his trial would have to happen before November 3, CNN reported.

— Jessica Goodman, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Mug shots of Mark Meadows, Harrison Floyd released

Update 3:45 p.m. EDT Aug. 24: Officials with the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office have released the mug shots of former Black Voices for Trump executive director Harrison Floyd and former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows after they surrendered to face charges in Fulton County on Thursday.

Harrison Floyd turns himself in to face charges

Update 3:15 p.m. EDT Aug. 24: Harrison Floyd, the former executive director of Black Voices for Trump, was booked Thursday into Fulton County Jail to face charges related to the Georgia election interference investigation, WSB reported.

Floyd is accused of arranging a meeting between a Fulton County election worker and publicist Trevian Kutti, who also faces charges in Georgia. Authorities said he and Kutti pressured the worker to try to get her to say she was involved in election fraud, according to WSB and court records.

Floyd is charged with violating Georgia’s RICO Act, influencing witnesses and conspiracy to commit solicitation of false statements and writings.

Trump contests DA’s request for October trial date

Update 3:05 p.m. EDT Aug. 24: Trump opposed moving his trial date to October in a counter-motion filed in court on Thursday after Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis requested an Oct. 23 start date, according to WSB.

In the response, obtained by CNN, an attorney for Trump added that he will file a motion to separate Trump’s case from that of lawyer Kenneth Chesebro. Earlier, Chesebro filed a motion for a speedy trial, which prompted Willis to suggest the October trial date earlier Thursday.

Trump says he will be arrested at 7:30 p.m.

Update 2:45 p.m. EDT Aug. 24: In a statement on social media, Trump said that he will be arrested at 7:30 p.m. EDT on Thursday.

In the social media post, Trump criticized Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, calling her “a Radical Left, Lowlife District Attorney.”

The former president is traveling to Atlanta, where he will be booked and processed in Fulton County Jail. He is expected to be released on a $200,000 bond.

Mark Meadows surrenders

Update 2:20 p.m. EDT Aug. 24: Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows surrendered Thursday to be booked into Fulton County Jail after he was indicted last week on charges related to the 2020 presidential election, WSB reported.

Earlier, Meadows reached an agreement with prosecutors that will see him released on a $100,000 bond.

Publicist gets bond set at $75,000

Updated 2:15 p.m. EDT Aug. 24: Trevian Kutti, a publicist who was charged as part of the investigation into election interference in Georgia, has reached an agreement with prosecutors that would see her released on a $75,000 bond after she surrenders to authorities in Fulton County, CNN and NBC News reported.

Kutti is accused of trying to pressure an Atlanta election worker into admitting that she committed massive fraud against Trump in the 2020 election, according to CNN. She faces one count each of violation of the Georgia RICO Act, conspiracy to commit solicitation of false statements and writings and influencing a witness.

Bond set at $100,000 for Jeffrey Clark

Update 1:45 p.m. EDT Aug. 24: Bond has been set at $100,000 for former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark, WSB reported.

Clark previously served as a lawyer in the Justice Department. In December 2020, he shared a draft letter with colleagues that urged Georgia officials to convene a special legislative session on the results of the presidential election, according to WSB. His superiors refused to send the letter.

DA requests October start date for trial

Update 1 p.m. EDT Aug. 24: Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis on Thursday requested an October trial date for Trump and 18 others charged in a sprawling investigation into election interference in Georgia, WSB reported.

The motion was filed in court in relation to a request for a speedy trial that came from attorney Kenneth Chesebro, according to the news station. The lawyer faces seven charges in connection with the investigation in Georgia.

Earlier, Willis had asked that the trial start in March, WSB reported.

Bond for Mark Meadows set at $100,000

Update 12:45 p.m. EDT Aug. 24: Bond has been set at $100,000 for former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, who is charged with violating Georgia’s RICO Act and solicitation of a violation of oath by a public officer, WSB reported.

Meadows earlier asked a judge to move the case against him to federal court, arguing that the charges stem from incidents during his time as chief of staff, according to the news station.

Fulton County DA subpoenas Georgia secretary of state

Update 12:35 p.m. EDT Aug. 24: Fulton County District Attorney Fani Williams has subpoenaed Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to testify at a hearing Monday for former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, WSB reported.

Meadows, who is among the 18 people indicted alongside Trump in the investigation into 2020 presidential election interference in Georgia, is trying to move the case against him from state to federal court. He is charged with one count each of violating Georgia’s RICO Act and solicitation of a violation of oath by a public officer.

In January 2021, Meadows organized a phone call between Raffensberger and Trump in which the former president urged him to “find” enough votes to overturn his election loss to Biden, according to WSB.

House Republicans launch investigation into Fulton County investigation

Update 11:40 a.m. EDT Aug. 24: The Republican-led House Judiciary Committee on Thursday opened an investigation into the indictment handed down last week against Trump and 18 others who are accused of attempting to overturn Georgia’s 2020 presidential election results.

In a letter sent to Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, the committee demanded documents related to her office’s use of federal funds, communications with the Justice Department and special counsel Jack Smith — who is overseeing the federal investigations into Trump’s conduct — and more.

In the letter, the committee told Willis, “the circumstances surrounding your actions raise serious concerns about whether they are politically motivated.”

Trump expected to be released on $200,000 bond

Update 11:05 a.m. EDT Aug. 24: The former president is expected to be released on a $200,000 bond following his booking on Thursday after his attorneys reached an agreement with prosecutors.

In a consent bond order filed Monday, authorities said Trump will be allowed to leave jail on the bond, with some conditions. He will be required to appear in court as directed and barred from communicating with witnesses or any of his 18 co-defendants. He is also prohibited from intimidating witnesses, co-defendants and others.

Georgia indictment is 4th Trump is facing

Update 10:30 a.m. EDT Aug. 24: When Trump turns himself in to authorities in Georgia on Thursday, it will mark the fourth time the former president has faced charges in an indictment since the spring.

In New York, state prosecutors have charged Trump in connection with hush-money payments made before the 2016 presidential election which prosecutors said were aimed at illegally influencing the election. The former president is also facing federal charges in Florida, where he is accused of mishandling classified documents taken from the White House, and in Washington, where he was indicted on election interference charges.

Trump shakes up legal team before booking

Update 10:05 a.m. EDT Aug. 24: Hours before Trump was set to surrender for booking and processing in Georgia, the former president replaced the lead member of his legal team, WSB reported.

Trump added veteran criminal defense attorney Steve Sadow, according to The New York Times. He is expected to replace attorney Drew Findling, who will be let go, the Times and ABC News reported.

“The President should never have been indicted,” Sadow said Thursday in a statement.

“He is innocent of all the charges brought against him. We look forward to the case being dismissed or, if necessary, an unbiased, open-minded jury finding the President not guilty.”

Sadow has represented several high-profile clients in the past, including former NFL player Ray Lewis and entertainers Usher, Rick Ross and T.I., WSB reported.

9 of Trump’s co-defendants have surrendered for booking

Update 9:40 a.m. EDT Aug. 24: As of Thursday morning, nine of the 18 people indicted alongside Trump following an investigation into election interference in Georgia have turned themselves in for booking and processing at the Fulton County Jail.

Those booked so far include Trump attorneys Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman and Sidney Powell.

0 of 22

Original report: Trump has denied any wrongdoing, claiming that the investigation and others focused on his conduct are politically motivated as he campaigns for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.

Officials with the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office said the area around the Rice Street Jail will be under a hard lockdown when Trump surrenders. Earlier this week, Trump’s attorneys negotiated a $200,000 bond for their client, WSB reported.

As of Thursday morning, nine of Trump’s co-defendants have turned themselves in to face charges.

On Wednesday, Trump attorneys Rudy Giuliani, Jenna Ellis, Sidney Powell, Kenneth Chesebro and Ray Smith and former Georgia GOP officials Cathy Latham and David Shafer surrendered at Fulton County Jail. One day earlier, former Trump lawyer John Eastman and Atlanta-area bail bondsman Scott Hall turned themselves in to authorities.

Several other people also face charges in connection with the investigation, including former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark.

2023 Cox Media Group