Defendant jailed in Trump case finally has bond set after supporters raise $250k

30 August 2023 , 00:01

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Floyd was the only defendant to be held in custody after surrendering to Fulton County jail last Thursday afternoon (Image: FULTON COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE/A)

A black defendant jailed in the Donald Trump election case has finally had his bond set after supporters raised $250,000 (£198,000).

Harrison Floyd, 39, is one of Trump’s 18 co-defendants in the Georgia 2020 election subversion case and faces charges of violating Georgia’s racketeering act, conspiracy to commit solicitation of false statements and writings and influencing witnesses in the Fulton County District Attorney’s investigation. Also known as Willie Lewis Floyd III, he helped run Trump’s 2020 campaign outreach to Black voters.

Floyd was the only defendant to be held in custody after surrendering to Fulton County jail last Thursday afternoon. Prior to his surrender, Floyd did not reportedly negotiate a bond amount, as is the case with his 18 co-defendants. During a bond hearing, Judge Emily Richardson did not comment on why Floyd’s bond was denied.

On Saturday morning, a legal fundraiser for Floyd, hosted on crowdfunding site GiveSendGo, topped $100,000 (£79,000) out of a target of $200,000 (£158,000). Dominion Law Center, which is running the crowd funder, wrote: "Yesterday, at Harrison's initial hearing where no lawyer was present, the judge denied bond because she said he was a flight risk. We do not believe the judge was correct because Harrison voluntarily traveled from Maryland to Georgia to turn himself in. We will be filing pleadings on Monday to rectify this situation in front of the assigned judge, Judge Scott McAfee."

Harrison Floyd, 39, is one of Trump’s 18 co-defendants in the Georgia 2020 election subversion case (FULTON COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE/A)

Floyd's arrest comes after an incident on February 23 when he allegedly threatened two FBI agents who served him the subpoena at his apartment in Rockville, Maryland, reportedly running after them and “striking” one agent “chest to chest,” an affidavit states. Floyd is charged with simple assault on a federal officer.

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Now, Judge Scott McAfee has set Floyd's bond at $100,000 (£79,000) — broken down by $40,000 (£32,000) for the racketeering charge and $30,000 (£22,000) each for influencing witnesses and conspiring to commit solicitation of false statements and writings.

According to the affidavit, Floyd, a former U.S. Marine, falsely claimed the FBI agents had not identified themselves or shown their identification before following him up a staircase and serving him with the subpoena. After the agents shoved the subpoena into Floyd’s apartment door and attempted to leave, Floyd allegedly ran down the stairs after them.

The booking photo of former US President Donald Trump (FULTON COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE/A)

According to federal court records reported by The Associated Press, Floyd first appeared before a judge in this case on May 15, after which he was required to surrender his passport. Floyd insists he didn't realise the two men were FBI agents, and denies any wrongdoing.

In the latest Georgia indictment, Floyd is charged alongside Trump on a racketeering charge over an alleged conspiracy to keep the then-president in power following the 2020 election. He is accused of trying to convince Fulton County election worker Ruby Freeman to make false statements about election operations on Election Day 2020, under the guise of offering her help.

Abigail O'Leary