Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis on Tuesday alleged that video depositions of former Trump lawyers Jenna Ellis and Sidney Powell had been leaked to the press as a form of witness intimidation.
The Washington Post reports that Willis' office is asking the judge overseeing its sprawling racketeering case against former President Donald Trump and his allies to issue an "emergency" protective order over discovery materials to prevent further leaks.
The filing came mere hours after video deposition of witness testimony from Powell, Ellis, and former Trump lawyer Kenneth Chesebro leaked to ABC News and other outlets.
The revelations sparked an angry reaction from Trump supporters, and prosecutors allege that this was by design.
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“These confidential video recordings were not released by the State to any party other than the defendants charged in the indictment, pursuant to the discovery process as required by law,” the filing said. “The release of these confidential video recordings is clearly intended to intimidate witnesses in this case, subjecting them to harassment and threats prior to trial, constitutes indirect communication about the facts of this case with codefendants and witnesses, and obstructs the administration of justice, in violation of the conditions of release imposed on each defendant.”
To this end, the prosecutors said they would no longer share video depositions directly with opposing counsel and would instead only let lawyers representing defendants view the depositions and take notes.
Steve Sadow, the lead Georgia attorney for Trump, maintains that neither he nor any other attorneys representing codefendants in the case were responsible for the leaks.
