Breakdown

The most recent episode of Breakdown covers developments inside and outside of court in the election interference case against former President Donald Trump and 14 remaining co-defendants. And the motion to disqualify District Attorney Fani Willis because of her alleged inappropriate romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade continues to loom over the case. Episode 26 – “Piling On”...

A hearing on a motion to prevent Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from giving a sworn deposition in the divorce case involving special prosecutor Nathan Wade is a focus of the most recent episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast. Cobb County Superior Court Judge Henry Thompson convenes an emergency hearing on the request and also considers a motion to unseal Wade’...

Fani Willis makes a fiery courtroom debut in the latest episode of "Breakdown: The Trump Indictment." In episode 19, "Walking the Line," we'll take you inside the Fulton County courthouse to hear Willis argue that bond should be revoked for a Donald Trump co-defendant who had been repeatedly attacking potential witnesses on social media. Harrison Floyd has been one of the most combative defendants...

This episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s “Breakdown” podcast focuses on the interaction between the judge, Donald Trump’s attorney and the prosecution over the possibility of the trial being held next August. Trump’s attorney, Steve Sadow, making his courtroom debut, contends having the trial at that time would constitute election interference. Special prosecutor Nathan Wade disagrees. A...

Are single-sentence apology letters a sign of true remorse? The latest episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast explores the meaning of apology letters written by three of the four defendants who have pleaded guilty in the Fulton County election interference case against former President Donald Trump and others. The apology letters were a condition imposed by District Attorn...

This episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast includes a wide-ranging interview with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.   Willis shares her thoughts on many aspects of the election interference case against former President Donald Trump and others. She also opens up about her possible political aspirations after serving as Fulton’s DA.   Episode 21 – “A Conversatio...

In this bonus episode of “Breakdown,” two legal veterans analyze the latest developments in Fulton County’s election subversion case against Donald Trump and his supporters.  Former Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter and Atlanta defense attorney Bob Rubin discuss whether we are likely to see more plea deals. They also give us their opinions of those apology letters the district attorne...

This episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Breakdown podcast focuses on the videotaped interviews with Fulton County prosecutors by the four defendants who had struck plea deals.  After the so-called proffers by Sydney Powell, Jenna Ellis, Kenneth Chesebro and Scott Hall became public, the District Attorney's Office called for a sealing of all documents turned over in discovery and suggest...

The latest Breakdown episode includes an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Mark Niesse, who explains the GBI investigation of the data breach in South Georgia’s Coffee County. Niesse, who covers voting for the newspaper, recaps a yearlong investigation into the Jan. 7, 2021, data breach. He summarizes highlights taken from an almost 400-page GBI investigative report, which was rece...

The latest Breakdown episode includes an exclusive interview with the lawyer who represents Jenna Ellis, who once represented former President Donald Trump and who entered a guilty plea in the Fulton County election interference case. Macon attorney Frank Hogue describes how negotiations with Fulton prosecutors transpired before Ellis entered her guilty plea on Oct. 24. She was sentenced to five y...

This Breakdown episode covers the guilty plea hearings of lawyers Kenneth Chesebro and Jenna Ellis, both of whom were charged with former President Donald Trump in the election interference case. Chesebro entered his guilty plea – to a felony – the day after co-defendant Sidney Powell struck her plea deal with Fulton County prosecutors. Four days later, attorney Jenna Ellis entered her own guilty...

The latest Breakdown episode covers the surprise guilty plea of lawyer Sidney Powell, who infamously said she would “release the Kraken” when falsely promising she would produce widespread evidence of election fraud.   Powell entered her guilty plea one day before jury selection was to begin. Instead, fellow attorney Kenneth Chesbro, who like Powell filed a speedy trial demand, will stand trial on...

When Donald Trump and his co-defendants stand trial for allegedly trying to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election, the public will be able to watch. Fulton County is the only jurisdiction that’s indicted the former president on criminal charges where cameras are allowed in the courtroom.   Episode 12 of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s “Breakdown” podcast — “The Trump Indictment” — features a lively...

In Episode 11 of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s “Breakdown” podcast — “The Trump Indictment” — we discuss the first plea deal in Fulton County’s wide-ranging election subversion case and what it could mean for the 18 remaining defendants.   In exchange for testifying for the prosecution, Atlanta bail bondsman Scott Hall will remain out of jail. He pled guilty to five misdemeanor counts — less...

The latest Breakdown episode examines a federal judge’s ruling denying former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows’ bid to remove his case to U.S. District Court in Atlanta. U.S. District Judge Steve Jones released his 49-page order late Friday afternoon, and his findings could be bad news for former President Donald Trump, whose lawyers have said they will also seek to move his case out of Ful...

Episode 10 of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast covers two hearings during which lawyers for former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark and three Republican electors try to remove their cases to federal court in Atlanta. The hearings were before U.S. District Court Judge Steve Jones, who recently denied former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows’ bid to remove his case...

The eighth episode of Breakdown’s current season by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution digs into the long-awaited report from Fulton County's special purpose grand jury, which spent eight months investigating Donald Trump and his allies.   Learn about the 39 people who the the special grand jurors recommended face criminal charges - including one current and two former U.S. senators - and why some o...

The sixth episode of Breakdown’s current season by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution recaps former chief of staff Mark Meadows’ attempt to transfer the sweeping racketeering case to U.S. District Court in Atlanta.   During a daylong hearing, Meadows was the first witness called to the stand. He testified for four hours, including a lengthy cross-examination by special Fulton County prosecutor Anna...

The latest episode of Breakdown’s current season by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution contains an exclusive interview with the lawyers for Kenneth Chesebro, one of the 19 defendants charged in the Fulton County racketeering case. Atlanta attorneys Scott Grubman and Manny Arora make state their case as to why they believe charges should not have been brought against their client. Chesebro, a lawyer,...

The third episode of this season’s Breakdown podcast by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution examines the chaotic aftermath of the sweeping racketeering indictment against former President Donald Trump and his 18 co-defendants.   AJC journalists Bill Rankin, Tamar Hallerman, and Shannon McCaffrey explore one attempt — and at least two others that are expected — to move the case from Fulton Superior Co...

The latest episode of Breakdown from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution recaps former President Donald Trump’s historic surrender at the Fulton County jail. “Trump Surrenders” of Breakdown’s Season 10 – “The Trump Indictment” – also recounts a flurry of breaking news in just the past few days: the spectacle of Rudy Giuliani’s surrender, Trump gets a new lawyer, a speedy trial demand is made and Dist...

The fourth episode of this season’s Breakdown podcast by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution recounts a busy week where lawyers met with prosecutors to get bonds for their clients, including a $200,000 bond for former President Donald Trump. “Show Time at Rice Street” of Breakdown’s Season 10 – “The Trump Indictment” – also covers one of the 19 defendants charged in the racketeering case after anothe...

The barricades around the Fulton County courthouse are up. Intersections are blocked off and officials in Atlanta have been warned to get ready. For more than a year, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and its award-winning podcast Breakdown closely followed the special grand jury that accumulated evidence against former president Donald Trump and his allies for what happened in Georgia follow the 2...

At the end of a very long day, a Fulton County grand jury returned a 97-page, 41-count indictment against former President Donald Trump and 18 of his allies.   Episode 2 – “The Enterprise” – of Season 10 – “The Trump Indictment” of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast takes a look at the sweeping racketeering indictment and who is charged.   Some of the defendants are extremely wel...

The first episode of the new season of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast will catch listeners up on how Fulton County prosecutors have accumulated evidence against Donald Trump and his allies. ‘How We Got Here’ of Breakdown’s Season 10 – ‘The Trump Indictment’ – also looks ahead as to what kind of indictment a seated grand jury could hand up in the days ahead. It is widely expec...