"Georgia Judge Denies Trump's Free Speech Defense in Election Interference Case"

A Georgia judge rejected former President Donald Trump's and his co-defendants' bid to dismiss election interference charges on First Amendment grounds, stating that their right to protest the 2020 election results did not protect them from the charges brought by the district attorney's office. The judge found that their alleged actions and statements constituted false statements made in furtherance of criminal activity, rather than protected political speech, and denied their motions to dismiss the charges. Trump and his co-defendants, including Rudy Giuliani and John Eastman, have pleaded not guilty, and no trial date has been set.