One sitting president was placed under arrest for speeding. Two former presidents came extremely close to being indicted, one from an investigation arising from the Watergate scandal, the other from the Whitewater controversy. Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporters Bill Rankin and Tamar Hallerman examine past criminal cases involving presidents and vice presidents. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is overseeing the special purpose grand jury investigation of former President Donald Tr...
Jul 14, 2025•55 min•Season 9Ep. 6
The fourth episode of “The Trump Grand Jury,” the ninth season of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast, focuses on criminal intent as part of the podcast’s continuing coverage of the Fulton County special purpose grand jury that is investigating what Donald Trump and his allies did in Georgia following the 2020 president election. If a criminal indictment is ultimately brought, prosecutors must show criminal intent – that Trump and others knew what they were doing was illegal and...
Jul 14, 2025•45 min•Season 9Ep. 4
Is there a criminal case to be brought against former President Donald Trump and his allies for what happened in Georgia following the 2020 presidential election? The third episode of “The Trump Grand Jury,” the ninth season of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast, explores that possibility. A Fulton County special purpose grand jury that is investigating the issue will ultimately recommend whether criminal charges should be brought. In a letter to top state officials, District A...
Jul 14, 2025•43 min•Season 9Ep. 3
The fifth episode of “The Trump Grand Jury,” the ninth season of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast , recaps a busy period for the special purpose grand jury investigating former President Donald Trump and his allies. There are a flurry of witnesses coming in to testify about what happened at the state Capitol in the weeks after the November 2020 presidential election. There is a courtroom scuffle over legislative immunity. And there is the issuance of seven out-of-state materi...
Jul 14, 2025•49 min•Season 9Ep. 5
The phone call from the White House came in at about 3 p.m. on Jan. 2, 2021. Then President Donald Trump, his chief of staff and his lawyers were on the line talking to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and members of his staff. During the recorded phone call, Trump asked Raffensperger to “find 11,780 votes,” which would give him one more vote than he needed to flip the outcome of Georgia’s presidential election. On Monday, a special purpose grand jury will convene in Fulton County to invest...
Jul 14, 2025•6 min
The second episode of “The Trump Grand Jury,” the ninth season of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast, focuses on the woman who is overseeing the investigation of former President Donald Trump and his allies. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis grew up in courtrooms, tagging along with her father, an attorney. When Willis became a prosecutor, she rose through the ranks at the Fulton DA’s Office prosecuting homicide and sexual assault cases. In 2014, Willis oversaw one of...
Jul 14, 2025•41 min•Season 9Ep. 2
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger was sitting in his kitchen on the afternoon of Jan. 2, 2021, when he received a phone call from the White House. President Donald Trump, his chief of staff and some of his lawyers were on the line. During the conversation, Trump told Raffensperger to “find” him 11,780 votes to overturn the election results. That was one more than the 11,779-vote margin that gave Georgia’s 16 electoral college votes to President Joe Biden and turned Georgia Democratic...
Jul 14, 2025•43 min•Season 9Ep. 1
A showdown of closing arguments as to whether Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis should or should not be disqualified from the election interference case is the focus of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s most recent Breakdown podcast. Episode 33 – “The Closings” – of Breakdown’s 10th season – “The Trump Indictment” – sets up what could be a seminal moment in the case against former President Donald Trump and 14 remaining co-defendants. That’s when Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee deci...
Jul 11, 2025•48 min•Season 10Ep. 33
The former law partner and divorce lawyer of special prosecutor Nathan Wade takes the witness stand once again after the judge finds he can talk about what he learned about Wade’s and District Attorney Fani Willis’ romantic relationship. But attorney Terrence Bradley doesn’t say what defense attorneys in the election interference case want to hear. So Episode 32 – “No Star Witness” – of Season 10 – “The Trump Indictment” – of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast features witherin...
Jul 11, 2025•31 min•Season 10Ep. 32
The most recent Breakdown episode by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution dissects the recent evidentiary hearing on the motion to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and her office from the election interference case. The hearing has enough twists and turns to be an episode of a telenovela. Episode 31 – “Under The Microscope” – of Breakdown’s Season 10 – “The Trump Indictment” – includes testimony from Willis, special prosecutor Nathan Wade and his former law partner, Terrence Br...
Jul 11, 2025•57 min•Season 10Ep. 31
The accusations against Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis continue to get increasingly personal in nature since her acknowledgment of her relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade. The latest episode of Season 10 – “The Trump Indictment” – of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast covers more motions that call for Willis’ disqualification from the election interference case against former President Donald Trump and 14 co-defendants. Episode 28 – “Getting Personal” ...
Jul 11, 2025•31 min•Season 10Ep. 28
With the future of Fulton County’s election interference case on the line, District Attorney Fani Willis took the stand to fight back against misconduct allegations. Defiant, emotional, angry and sometimes even funny, Willis’ testimony was both remarkable and surprising as she pushed back against accusations that could disqualify her and her office from prosecuting former President Donald Trump and his 14 remaining codefendants. The most recent episode, “Fani Willis Takes the Stand,” of Season 1...
Jul 11, 2025•25 min•Season 10Ep. 30
The most recent episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast covers the highly anticipated response by the District Attorney’s Office to allegations DA Fani Willis and special prosecutor Nathan Wade were having an improper romantic relationship. The court filing is at times pointed and blistering and it is highly critical and dismissive of the motion to disqualify Willis and her office from prosecuting the case against former President Donald Trump and 15 remaining co-defendan...
Jul 11, 2025•25 min•Season 10Ep. 27
The judge overseeing the election interference case against former President Donald Trump and 14 others has cleared the way for what could be an explosive hearing focusing on the personal relationship between the district attorney and her special prosecutor. The most recent episode – “Setting the Table” – of Season 10 – “The Trump Indictment” of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast sets up the upcoming evidentiary hearing. The episode also focuses on the most recent court filing ...
Jul 11, 2025•21 min•Season 10Ep. 29
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’s divorce file. The 25th episode – “Wade v. Wade” – of Breakdown’s Season 10 – “The Trump Indictment...
Jul 11, 2025•40 min•Season 10Ep. 25
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” – of Season 10 – “The Trump Indictment” – by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports on motions fi...
Jul 11, 2025•33 min•Season 10Ep. 26
The allegations are salacious: arguably the most famous district attorney in the country hired her romantic partner to help prosecute a former president and then profited from the arrangement. An eye-popping, explosive court motion filed on behalf of one of Donald Trump’s lesser-known defendants is the focus of the most recent episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast. Episode 23 – “Bombshell Allegations” – of Breakdown’s Season 10 – “The Trump Indictment” – explains the co...
Jul 11, 2025•24 min•Season 10Ep. 23
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis gives an impassioned and defiant speech before a congregation at the historic Big Bethel AME Church, defending the man a court motion contends is involved in an improper, romantic relationship with the DA. Willis’ response to the bombshell allegations is the focus of the most recent episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Breakdown podcast. Episode 24 – “Firing Back From The Pulpit” – of Breakdown’s Season 10 – “The Trump Indictment” – also cover...
Jul 11, 2025•33 min•Season 10Ep. 24
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 in the case, and his lawyers argued that while he "walked up close to the line," his posts were pro...
Jul 11, 2025•26 min•Season 10Ep. 19
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 Conversation With DA Willis” – of Breakdown’s Season 10 – “The Trump Indictment” – also catches listeners up on the...
Jul 11, 2025•48 min•Season 10Ep. 21
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. And Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee has questions he wants answered. “Election Interference?” – Epi...
Jul 11, 2025•35 min•Season 10Ep. 20
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 Attorney Fani Willis for the plea deals. Two of the letters, written by attorneys Kenneth Chesebro and Sid...
Jul 11, 2025•41 min•Season 10Ep. 22
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 years on probation and agreed to fully cooperate with prosecutors as the case moves forward. “Inside ...
Jul 11, 2025•36 min•Season 10Ep. 15
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 recently obtained by the AJC. “The Fraud Hunters” – Episode 16 of Breakdown’s Season 10 – “The Trump Ind...
Jul 11, 2025•43 min•Season 10Ep. 16
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 suggested one of the 15 remaining defendants was to blame for the leak. During her lengthy interview, Powell...
Jul 11, 2025•38 min•Season 10Ep. 17
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 attorney demanded and tell us what it’s really like to try a long complicated criminal case. The episode inc...
Jul 11, 2025•49 min•Season 10Ep. 18
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 racketeering and other charges. “The Kraken’s Released” of Breakdown’s Season 10 – “The Trump Indictm...
Jul 11, 2025•29 min•Season 10Ep. 13
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 plea, also to a felony. “Copping a Plea” of Breakdown’s Season 10 – “The Trump Indictment” – by The ...
Jul 11, 2025•48 min•Season 10Ep. 14
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 severe than the seven felonies he initially faced. We’ll also dig into the surprise announcement from ...
Jul 11, 2025•44 min•Season 10Ep. 11
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 from Fulton County Superior Court. “To Remove or not to Remove?” of Breakdown’s Season 10 – “The Tr...
Jul 11, 2025•27 min•Season 10Ep. 10
