In this episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast, hosts Greg Bluestein, Patricia Murphy, Tia Mitchell and Bill Nigut discuss the Georgia Supreme Court’s ruling that the state’s current restrictions on abortion will remain in effect. Plus, a fourth defendant in Fani Willis’ election conspiracy case entered a guilty plea. Attorney Jenna Ellis pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting false statements. And as Republicans in the U.S. House continue their scr...
Oct 24, 2023•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast Georgia State University law professor Anthony Michael Kreis joins Greg Bluestein, Bill Nigut, Tia Mitchell and Patricia Murphy to discuss how far the guilty pleas of Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro can go in proving Fani Willis’ election conspiracy case against the remaining defendants, especially Donald Trump, Rudolph Giuliani, John Eastman and the Georgia fake electors. Then: It’s another day of déjà vu all over again on Capitol Hill as GOP House members still have no nominee for speaker o...
Oct 23, 2023•59 min•Transcript available on Metacast The trial of Kenneth Chesebro, one of the 19 defendants indicted for efforts to overturn Georgia’s 2020 presidential election began with jury selection on this Friday, October 20. His trial comes almost 18 months after Fulton County DA Fani Willis began her special grand jury investigation of possible criminal wrongdoing by Donald Trump and other allies. Shortly following the recording of this podcast, Kenneth Chesebro agreed to plead guilty to all of the charges against him. AJC columnist Bill ...
Oct 20, 2023•58 min•Transcript available on Metacast One day before jury selection was set to begin in the Fulton County trial of Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell, two defendants in the sprawling Trump election interference case, Sidney Powell made the stunning decision to accept a plea deal. She pleaded guilty to six misdemeanor counts of conspiracy to commit intentional interference with performance of election duties. In this episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast, Patricia Murphy, Tia Mitchell, Greg Blueste...
Oct 19, 2023•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has always been portrayed as tough as nails, willing to take on the most daunting individuals she thinks have committed crimes. She’s doing just that in prosecuting former President Donald Trump and a number of his allies, now indicted for attempting to overturn the results of Georgia’s 2020 presidential election. But at a closed-door fundraiser, Willis acknowledged that it’s not easy being the target of hatred and lies coming from supporters of the fo...
Oct 18, 2023•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast Late this week jury selection will begin in the trial of Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro, two of the 19 defendants – including former President Donald Trump – charged by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis with conspiring to overturn the results of Georgia’s 2020 presidential election. Powell and Chesebro exercised their right under Georgia law for a speedy trial, and so will be tried separately from Trump and his fellow defendants. In this episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’...
Oct 17, 2023•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast Rep. Austin Scott, the senior member of Georgia’s GOP House delegation spent much of last week fuming over the GOP conference’s inability to elect a new candidate for Speaker of the House. And so on Friday, with Jim Jordan poised to be the only declared candidate in the race, Scott surprised his colleagues, the Capitol Hill press corps, and almost his own wife, and declared himself a candidate for the position. Scott lost to Jordan, but emerged from his status as a little-known maverick conserva...
Oct 16, 2023•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast The AJC’s Tia Mitchell, Patricia Murphy, Greg Bluestein and Bill Nigut talk with Homerville State Senator Russ Goodman, who was on a personal trip with his mother to Israel when the Hamas terrorist attacks broke out. He describes being surrounded by small arms fire and explosions and eventually made a harrowing journey to Jordan to get a plane back to the United States. And as Georgia political leaders rally around Israel, Governor Kemp announces he’s authorized the state to buy $10 million in I...
Oct 13, 2023•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast The House has adjourned without electing a new Speaker because while Majority Leader Steve Scalise won the GOP nomination for the job, he doesn’t have enough votes to win the gavel outright. In this episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast, the AJC’s Patricia Murphy, Bill Nigut and Tia Mitchell report on the continuing split among Georgia Republican members over whether to vote for Scalise, Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan or a dark horse candidate. In the meantime, th...
Oct 12, 2023•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Republican battle is underway to elect a new speaker of the house. In this episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast, hosts Bill Nigut, Greg Bluestein, Patricia Murphy and Tia Mitchell discuss the apparent split in the Georgia delegation between casting their ballots for either Majority Leader Steve Scalise or Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan. But is Kevin McCarthy in the mix as well? Plus, As Israel prosecutes its punishing war against Hamas, as many as 4,000 peopl...
Oct 11, 2023•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast Georgia elected officials say they stand in solidarity with Israel after the most devastating attack on Israel since the 1973 Yom Kippur War. On this episode of the Politically Georgia podcast from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, hosts Greg Bluestein, Bill Nigut and Tia Mitchell are joined by American Jewish Committee Southern director Dov Wilker to look at how political leaders and members of the Georgia Jewish community are responding to the Hamas terrorist attack which killed more than 900 ...
Oct 10, 2023•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast The AJC’s Patricia Murphy, Tia Mitchell, and Bill Nigut look at news stories that are in the headlines right now: Ten people – so far – have died this year while in custody in Fulton County in just the past nine months alone. The jail is drastically overcrowded and many areas of the building are actually crumbling. This week, Lt. Governor Burt Jones and state Senator John Albers announced that a senate subcommittee will begin an investigation of conditions at the jail with hopes of finding remed...
Oct 06, 2023•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast After a revolt in the U.S. House, Speaker Kevin McCarthy loses the gavel. On today’s Politically Georgia podcast from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, hosts Greg Bluestein, Tia Mitchell, Bill Nigut and Patricia Murphy explain why McCarthy’s ouster leaves Georgia leaders in flux. Plus, one of the defendants in the Fulton County election interference case has accepted a deal to plead guilty. Learn what this means for the prosecution and other lower-level defendants in the case. And, you’ll hear w...
Oct 04, 2023•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast While many court observers believed that Donald Trump would file a motion to have his Georgia election conspiracy case moved to federal court, his lawyers have announced they want the case argued in Fulton County Superior Court. In this episode of Politically Georgia, Patricia Murphy, Bill Nigut, Tia Mitchell and Greg Bluestein look at why Trump has decided to accept the Fulton County venue. A major bonus of the decision: the trial will now be televised. Then, hardline Republicans in the U.S. Ho...
Sep 29, 2023•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast The U.S. Senate reached an agreement on a bipartisan stopgap spending bill to keep the government open, but hard-line Republicans are unlikely to support the compromise. In this episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast, hosts Bill Nigut, Greg Bluestein, Patricia Murphy, and Tia Mitchell break down the impasse in Washington and the impact a government shutdown could have on Georgians. Plus, Greg Bluestein joins us from California where he will be covering tonight’...
Sep 27, 2023•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast, Tia Mitchell, Patricia Murphy and Bill Nigut look at how Marjorie Taylor Greene – one of Speaker McCarthy’s strongest allies in the House – turned against him and joined hardliners in refusing to pass the rule to allow the Department of Defense budget bill to come to the floor for an official vote. Greene’s surprising defection from McCarthy’s side was triggered by her opposition to the new funding for Ukraine emb...
Sep 22, 2023•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens is facing questions from some key Democrats about how the city will count signatures collected by those supporting a referendum on the city’s planned police training center. In this episode of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia, Patricia Murphy, Tia Mitchell, Greg Bluestein, and Bill Nigut ask whether Dickens is losing support from allies in his commitment to building the facility. Also, some Georgia Republican members of Congress say they’re fine ...
Sep 20, 2023•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast Atlanta leaders said they were willing to go into ‘war mode’ against dangerous apartments. More than a year later, residents feel they’re on their own. In this special edition of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast, host Bill Nigut sits down with AJC investigative reporter Willoughby Mariano, who follows up on the AJC’s 2022 special investigation Dangerous Dwellings. Hear how tenants of more than 250 apartment complexes identified in this special series continue to liv...
Sep 19, 2023•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this special edition of the Politically Georgia podcast, hosts Greg Bluestein, Patricia Murphy, Bill Nigut and Riley Bunch sit down with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens to discuss the continued controversy over the proposed Atlanta Public Safety Training Center. Hear why Mayor Dickens opposes an effort by a city council member to bypass an ongoing petition effort and place the public safety training center directly on the ballot. The mayor also shares his thoughts on a variety of topics from the ...
Sep 16, 2023•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast What is the Georgia Republicans’ message as Congress careens toward a possible government shutdown? Plus, you’ll hear how a federal redistricting trial ending today could open the door for Democrats to win an additional seat in the U.S. House. We’ll look at the stakes in the trial. And you’ll hear our hosts discuss how new indictments of Hunter Biden could complicate Democrats’ re-election strategy. You’ll also hear answer to your questions in our listener mailbag segment, which you can now call...
Sep 15, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast, hosts Greg Bluestein, Patricia Murphy, Bill Nigut, and Tia Mitchell discuss the demands from Georgia Republicans that helped trigger an impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden. Plus, you’ll hear why former Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue were in the crosshairs of the Fulton County probe into Donald Trump. And what happens next in the standoff between Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and U.S. Rep. Ji...
Sep 13, 2023•59 min•Transcript available on Metacast What's next in Fulton County's case against Donald Trump? The trial of the former president and 18 co-defendants enters a new, more unpredictable phase now that each of them have pleaded not guilty. In a live episode of the Politically Georgia podcast, hosts Greg Bluestein, Patricia Murphy and Bill Nigut head to Athens to explore what to expect over the next few months -- and the legal challenges awaiting Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. They also discuss the racketeering charges lev...
Sep 08, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Transcript available on Metacast Just two years ago, state lawmakers convened at the Capitol to redraw Georgia’s political boundaries. Now they could be poised to revisit the map if a federal judge rules the Republican-backed Legislature illegally weakened Black voters’ electoral power. In this episode of the Politically Georgia podcast, hosts Greg Bluestein, Patricia Murphy, Bill Nigut, and Tia Mitchell discuss the two-week federal trial that could reshape the 2024 election. They also explore the latest attempts to punish Fult...
Sep 06, 2023•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast A pattern resembling the Donald Trump-fueled misinformation that spread in 2020 is reemerging in 2023. In this episode of Politically Georgia from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, hosts Greg Bluestein, Patricia Murphy, Tia Mitchell and Bill Nigut dive deeper into the Trump-fueled feud over District Attorney Fani Willis’ investigation. Plus, hear about the push state Senator Colten Moore is making that has caught the attention of Governor Brian Kemp. Our hosts also discuss the victory for Fulton...
Sep 01, 2023•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast Indicted for a fourth time, former President Donald Trump still holds a commanding lead in Georgia, where he’s the early favorite to win the Republican nomination. And in this episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast, Greg Bluestein, Tia Mitchell, Patricia Murphy, and Bill Nigut explore why the poll could hint at some of his vulnerabilities. Plus, the hosts dive into the challenges ahead for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, from picking a jury pool to...
Aug 30, 2023•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this edition of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast, Greg Bluestein, Patricia Murphy, and our new co-hosts Bill Nigut and Tia Mitchell breakdown what happened at the Fulton County jail during the historic surrender of Donald Trump. Tia will also set the scene for the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington and the Georgia connection to MLK’s historic “I Have a Dream” speech. Have a question for Greg and Patricia? Call the 24-hour Politically Georgia Podcast Hotl...
Aug 25, 2023•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this special edition of the Politically Georgia podcast, hosts Greg Bluestein, Patricia Murphy, Bill Nigut and Tia Mitchell look at the performances by the eight GOP presidential candidates who debated Wednesday at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. But the elephant missing from the room was former President Donald Trump who skipped the debate for an interview with Tucker Carlson. Does that make him the loser of the first Republican primary debate, as Gov. Brian Kemp suggests? Plus, hear the highligh...
Aug 24, 2023•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast, our new co-hosts Bill Nigut and Tia Mitchell join Patricia Murphy and Greg Bluestein to discuss which defendants in the Fulton County Trump case surrendered Tuesday at Fulton County Jail. You’ll also hear about the renewed push to investigate Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones in Georgia’s fake elector plot. And the vow to investigate Fulton County DA Fani Willis over her investigation of Donald Trump. Plus, a preview...
Aug 23, 2023•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this special edition of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast, political insiders Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy discuss who stood and what they learned at The Gathering with GOP presidential contenders this weekend. Our crew will also discuss how Georgia Governor Brian Kemp is trying to encourage Trump’s supporters to move on from the 2020 election. You’ll also hear from Chris Christie, Vivek Ramaswamy, Mike Pence, Tim Scott, Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley. Have a ...
Aug 20, 2023•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this edition of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Politically Georgia podcast, our new co-hosts Tia Mitchell and Bill Nigut join Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy will explain why many of the top GOP presidential candidates will be in Atlanta this weekend. Our team will also explain why former President Trump won’t be on that stage and when he’s expected to turn himself in. You’ll also hear Tia’s exclusive interview with Majorie Taylor Greene about why she’s upset with Gov. Brian Kemp and w...
Aug 18, 2023•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
