Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp says he does not think the trial to prosecute former President Donald Trump by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis will happen before the presidential election of Nov. 5, 2024.
Ms. Willis said in a proposed scheduling order filed with the court Wednesday that she wants the trial to start March 4, but Mr. Kemp disputed this during an interview with radio host Erick Erickson Friday morning at a conservative conference in Atlanta.
“Regardless of what you think about the indictment … I came out two days ago now and tweeted the election wasn’t stolen here and that we need to stay focused on the future,” he said, “One thing is certain about these indictments in my mind. In my opinion, this trial, despite what dates anybody’s asking for anything else, it is not going to happen before the election.”
Ms. Willis’ proposed date would have the trial starting a day before Super Tuesday, when the most delegates are at stake in the primary contest to decide the Republican presidential nominee.
Ms. Willis secured a sweeping indictment that accuses Mr. Trump and 18 co-defendants of conspiring to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia.
Mr. Kemp, who says he was subpoenaed before the special grand jury, and expects to be a witness in the case, cautioned that all the Republican presidential candidates need to be strategizing on winning back the White House and not thinking about 2020 election.
SEE ALSO: Georgia state senator seeks special session to impeach, defund Fani Willis
“The Democrats want us to be focused on things like this so we’re not focused on Joe Biden’s record,” he said, holding up a pencil as a prop and listing Biden administration policies, legislation and regulatory and law enforcement agencies.
“And they are pencil-whipping the American people right now. We have to stay focused on winning the pencil back because then we can use the eraser to get rid of all the bad things.
“It should be such an easy path for us to win the White House back, but if we are looking in the rearview mirror, and this is what my message has been to every candidate in the race, including former President Trump, we don’t need to be focusing on stupid things that aren’t going to happen before this election. We can deal with that later after we win.”
Mr. Kemp’s remarks come one day after Georgia Republican state Sen. Colton Moore urged him to call a special legislative session to investigate Ms. Willis.
In a letter drafted to the governor and posted online, Mr. Moore wrote that an “emergency exists in the affairs of the state” that requires the special session.
“We must strip all funding and, if appropriate, impeach Fani Willis. I’m calling on patriots across America to join me in this fight,” he posted Thursday on X, the platform formerly called Twitter.
His petition is designed to enlist fellow state lawmakers in cracking down on the Atlanta-based prosecutor.
“I am demanding that we defund her office until we find out what the hell is going on. We cannot stand idly by as corrupt prosecutors choose to target their political opposition,” he wrote.
Mr. Kemp did not address Mr. Moore’s letter during his appearance with Mr. Erickson.
• Kerry Picket can be reached at kpicket@washingtontimes.com.
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