One of the people accused of being part of a scheme to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Georgia has asked the judge presiding over the case to relax his bond conditions so he can work on Donald Trump‘s new presidential campaign.
Harrison Floyd will be tried for racketeering after allegedly working alongside several people, including the former president. Floyd was charged with violating the Georgia RICO Act, conspiracy to commit solicitation of false statements and writings, and influencing witnesses.
His bond agreement states that he cannot contact any co-defendant or witness, directly or indirectly, to discuss the case, including Trump.
Floyd’s attorney, Christopher Kachouroff, said at a hearing last week that his client wants those terms eased so he can use X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, “to speak his mind about this case” and to speak with other co-defendants about “his work or matters” outside the case, according to The Hill.
Judge Scott McAfee said he was “open to considering” the request and considering “reasonable restrictions.”
Floyd was already taken to court once by District Attorney Fani Willis last fall when she alleged he violated his bond order by tagging co-defendants and mentioning witnesses in intimidating and threatening social media posts, which amounted to indirect communication.
McAfee ruled that the posts were a “technical violation” of Floyd’s bond order but didn’t jail Floyd over them. He noted that more specific language needed to be included in order to address the “nuances” of social media.
The judge dismissed Willis’ motion and revised Floyd’s bond agreement, prohibiting him from speaking publicly or making social media posts about his co-defendants and witnesses in the case.
Now Floyd wants those amended restrictions eased even further so he can talk about Trump on social media and speak directly to him for “work purposes.” His attorney argued that communication is necessary since he works for the former president as a campaign operative.
McAfee said that he wouldn’t go so far as allowing Floyd to communicate with “any currently indicted co-defendant” since there’s “really no method of oversight,” but said he was willing to consider allowing Floyd to “comment on current events.”
Floyd, the former head of Black Voices for Trump, has pleaded not guilty to the charges he faces in the election subversion case. He’s accused of trying to intimidate and coerce former Georgia election worker Ruby Freeman into falsely admitting that she committed voter fraud during the 2020 election.
No trial date has been set for the case yet.
