Former President Donald Trump has replaced his top Georgia lawyer ahead of his surrender Thursday (August 24, 2023), according to sources on CNN.
Drew Findling, the led counsel to Trump’s defense in Georgia, is being replaced by Steven Sadow, an Atlanta-based attorney who according to his website profile describes him as a “special counsel for white collar and high-profile defense.”
It was made clear by the source, that Findling replacement has nothing to do with his performance. While another familiar with Sadow called him the “best criminal defense attorney in Georgia.” Trump’s other Georgia attorney, Jennifer Little, is expected to stay on the legal team and work with Sadow.
Sadow, in acceptance to represent Trump, said, “I have been retained to represent President Trump in the Fulton County, Georgia case. The president should never have been indicted. He is innocent of all the charges brought against him,”
“We look forward to the case being dismissed or, if necessary, an unbiased, open-minded jury finding the president not guilty. Prosecutions intended to advance or serve the ambitions and careers of political opponents of the president have no place in our justice system.”
During an interview regarding the prospective charges Trump faced in Georgia in 2021, Sadow attacked RICO charges as a means for prosecutors to present information that would not otherwise be acceptable.
The sudden change in legal counsel comes after Trump retained Findling, a well-known criminal defense lawyer, to handle the Fulton County case in August 2022. Before charging Trump with any crimes, Findling made a number of forceful—but ultimately unsuccessful—moves to try and have the case’s evidence thrown out and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis removed from office.
However, Findling and Trump also made news headlines for their unexpected alliance. Findling, a self-described leftist, has previously criticized Trump in social media remarks, which swiftly attracted media attention. And the Atlanta-area lawyer, who received the nickname #BillionDollarLawyer from a former client, is more recognized for representing prominent conservatives like Trump than hip-hop stars like Gucci Mane and Cardi B.
Days before Trump reassembled his legal team, Little, Findling, and Marissa Goldberg met with Willis to negotiate a $200,000 bond for the president. Trump’s self-incrimination on Thursday evening at the Fulton County jail will enable him to be processed quickly due to the bond and other previously agreed-upon terms of his release.
The 2020 election results in Georgia are the subject of more than a dozen allegations against Trump, who will be arrested on Thursday. This will be the fourth time this year that the former president has been charged with a crime.
