While the details of and procedural developments surrounding the Big Indictment against the former president have consumed the news cycle since it came out last week, there’s still (at least) one more indictment heading toward Donald Trump that may come, if it comes, before we close out the summer.
We’ve known for some time that any charging decisions in Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ investigation into Trump and efforts to overturn the election results in Georgia would come before the end of this grand jury session, which ends September 1. Willis herself told a local news outlet last week that her investigation, which has primarily centered on the infamous phone call Trump made to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in January 2021, would be wrapping up soon.
Additional security measures like security barriers have been in place outside the Fulton County courthouse since late last month. Staff and those with business before the court this month have been instructed to try to conduct their business remotely. Willis sent out an email to county commissioners and judges notifying them that her office had received racist threats as a potential indictment looms and reminding them to keep their staff safe during this time.
What’s new today: the street outside the courthouse has been shut down and closed to traffic and it will remain blocked until August 18, the county sheriff’s office said in a new traffic advisory. Additionally, law enforcement officers are now stationed up to surround the building.
Normally bustling streets outside the gray stone courthouse were largely empty, devoid of food trucks that normally serve breakfast and lunch to court workers, most of whom Willis had urged to work remotely as a grand jury decision loomed.
The front of the courthouse was lined with rows of orange plastic, water-filled Jersey barriers and steel crowd control barricades. Dozens of county sheriff’s deputies were stationed out front, and other deputies and Atlanta police drove marked cars in circles around the streets nearby.
Those journalists and legal experts following the case most closely, though, have signaled that despite all the heightened security measures this week and last week, we may still be a week out from a potential fourth indictment against Trump:
The Best Of TPM Today
Here’s what you should read this evening:
Concerned He May Be Charged, Eastman Asks For Delay In Disbarment Proceedings
Eastman Reiterates Support For Full Insurrection
In case you missed it Friday: In New Multimillion Dollar ‘Disinformation Campaign’ Anti-Abortion Crusaders Seek To Make Ohio’s Big Abortion Vote About ‘Sex Change’ Operations
Yesterday’s Most Read Story
John Eastman Comes Clean: Hell Yes We Were Trying to Overthrow the Government — Josh Marshall
What We Are Reading
FDA policy allowing more gay and bisexual men to donate blood goes into effect — NBC
In Ohio, a ballot measure by GOP may end up benefiting Democrats — Boston Globe
Ron DeSantis is picking yet another fight with the College Board — and losing — MSNBC