Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has been handed an ultimatum that could significantly impact her high-profile case against former President Donald Trump and his co-defendants.
Harrison Floyd, a co-defendant and the former leader of the Black Voices for Trump coalition, has accused Willis of illegally wiretapping a conversation with his defense attorney—a claim that, if true, would violate Maryland’s wiretapping law.
Floyd’s allegations were made public via a statement on the social media platform X, where he detailed the supposed legal misstep by Willis. According to Floyd, the district attorney engaged in the unauthorized recording of a conversation that took place in Maryland, where such actions without a warrant constitute a felony. Last August, Floyd was arrested for charges of violating Georgia’s RICO Act, conspiracy to commit solicitation of false statements and writings, and influencing witnesses.
According to Newsweek, Floyd said Willis should either acknowledge the wrongdoing and withdraw from the case or he will pursue “all lawful remedies,” by noon on Monday. “Last week my attorney and I made it public that District Attorney Willis very likely violated the Maryland Wiretapping Act, which is a felony here in Maryland,” Floyd said in a statement as time ran out for Willis. However, the controversy does not end with the wiretapping allegations. Floyd has also accused Willis of racial bias and unprofessional conduct.
He claims that Willis, driven by a personal vendetta and rooted in what he describes as a radical progressive ideology, has allowed her views to color her actions within the legal proceedings. Floyd claimed that Willis has wrongfully targeted him due to his political beliefs and his association with Trump, suggesting a misuse of her office to further racial discrimination. Floyd’s statement further criticized Willis for allegedly misrepresenting facts related to his bond and accused her of harboring a bias against him and others based on race.
The allegations of wiretapping without a warrant, if substantiated, would compel Willis to recuse herself from the case against Trump and his co-defendants, marking a significant shift in the proceedings once again.
Floyd released a video to X today after Willis’ deadline passed, threatening to move forward with legal action.
WATCH:
The Maryland Wiretap Law states that no one may:
(1) Willfully intercept, endeavor to intercept, or procure any other person to intercept or endeavor to intercept, any wire, oral, or electronic communication;
(2) Willfully disclose, or endeavor to disclose, to any other person the contents of any wire, oral, or electronic communication, knowing or having reason to know that the information was obtained through the interception of a wire, oral, or electronic communication in violation of this subtitle; or
(3) Willfully use, or endeavor to use, the contents of any wire, oral, or electronic communication, knowing or having reason to know that the information was obtained through the interception of a wire, oral, or electronic communication in violation of this subtitle.
Breaking the wiretap law is considered a felony punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Just 11 states have two-party consent laws around wiretapping, among them Maryland. If Willis indeed recorded her conversation with Salvado without his knowledge, she could have severely jeopardized her case against Trump, Floyd, and others whom she has charged with racketeering crimes related to the 2020 election.
Floyd’s allegation is not the first time his team has put Willis on blast for routinely flouting the law. Attorney Christopher Kachouroff, who represents Floyd in the Georgia case, described her encounter with him related to the Maryland call.
“She did reach out to us, one of my colleagues in Maryland, and was rude, abrupt with him on the phone, and he was dealing with the Maryland case and I was dealing with the Georgia case, and she ended up recording him,” he said during an interview with legal analyst Phil Holloway. Asked whether he is alleging Willis broke the law, he replied, “Oh yeah, it’s a felony in Maryland.”
Floyd has pleaded not guilty, though he was the only defendant to be placed behind bars.
“God was with me, when I stepped in that cell door and it closed behind me… The conditions of that jail, the reason why it is the way it is, it’s not because of the staff that works there. It’s because of the failed leadership of Fulton County. They have not done a good job of appropriating funds, taking care of the facility. While I was in there, a lot of the officers… they are not getting the resources they need to ensure the safety of the prisoners,” he said.
“What’s going on in that jail, I’ve seen worse conditions in Iraq. When I went to my cell for the first time, there was fecal matter smeared on one of the walls. The first morning that I woke up, the guy in the cell next to me was being tased.”
“I’m just grateful that I served in the United States Marine Corps infantry and I’ve dealt with worse,” he said, adding a plea to the audience to “pray for the inmates who are in that jail.”