Ex-Trump lawyer 'trying very hard' not to 'deplete wife’s retirement fund' in Georgia election defense
27 November 2023
John Eastman, a former lawyer for Donald Trump, is trying to avoid depleting his wife’s retirement fund as he defends himself against charges in the Georgia election interference case, Newsweek reports.
In August, Eastman was charged alongside Trump and 17 other co-defendants in a sprawling indictment that included allegations of violating Georgia's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) statute.
Per PBS, Eastman was also charged with:
Solicitation of violation of oath by public officer
Conspiracy to commit impersonating a public officer
2 counts of conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree
2 counts of conspiracy to commit false statements and writings
Conspiracy to commit filing false documents
Filing false documents
Eastman spoke last week with reporter Julie Kelly on the Happy Hour with Julie and Liz podcast where he discussed the ongoing legal case.
POLL: Should Trump be allowed to hold office again?
"I'm trying very hard not to completely deplete my wife's retirement fund," Eastman said.
The former Trump attorney, who had previously served as a law clerk for Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, has been described as the architect of Trump’s Jan. 6 effort to delay or reject Congress’ Electoral College certification. In a two-page memo, Eastman outlined six steps former Vice President Mike Pence could take to steal the election from Joe Biden. According to NPR, prior to Trump’s term end, “Eastman sought a preemptive presidential pardon for his role" in the insurrection.
Eastman was the first Trump co-defendant to surrender to the Fulton County Jail in August. An attorney for the lawyer told reporters “there will be no plea deal” for his client. Trump has likewise insisted he will not take a plea deal in the Georgia case.
In October, former Trump attorney Jenna Ellis became the fourth co-defendant to reach a plea with the state. Eastman continues to fight his case in court.
According to Newsweek, Eastman told Kelly his legal defense fund has raised ”less than a third of what we've already incurred and less than about a sixth or seventh of what we're likely to incur before we're done."