ATLANTA — Harrison Floyd, a co-defendant of former President Donald Trump, doesn't want his 2020 election trial to take place in Atlanta, according to court documents filed by his lawyers Friday.
Attorneys for Floyd filed a motion for change of venue. Floyd seeks to move the criminal case against him from Atlanta's Fulton County to Coffee County, a heavily Republican county located in the southern portion of the state.
If Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee doesn't change the trial's venue, Floyd requests that McAfee swear in a jury from Coffee County to hear his case.
Floyd alleges he can't receive a fair trial in Fulton County Superior Court citing "media coverage, negative governmental press conferences, and the political bias of potential jurors."
Floyd's legal team has hired experts to study the potential bias, and they estimate the initial study will take six weeks.
It's not explicitly explained in the filing why Floyd requested that his trial take place in Coffee County, which is featured prominently in the election racketeering indictment.
Prosecutors allege that Coffee County election software, data, and other elements were improperly accessed following the 2020 election. Four people were charged in the Coffee County plot. Floyd was not involved.
Instead, Floyd faces three felony charges stemming from his alleged involvement in the plot to get then-Fulton County election worker Ruby Freeman to falsely admit that she committed election fraud.
The change of venue was one of several motions filed by Floyd's legal team Friday seeking to slow or stop the election case. It comes as most of the 15 remaining defendants are required to file nearly all remaining pre-trial motions Monday.
Fulton County DA Fani Willis has requested an August trial date. Several defendants including, Trump and current Georgia State Senator Shawn Still, have opposed the August date. No trial date has been set.
Floyd and 18 others were indicted by a Fulton County grand jury in August on charges that they criminally interfered in the 2020 presidential election. To date, four defendants have taken plea deals.
Floyd, a former director of the political group Black Voices for Trump, is the only defendant in the case to spend extended time in Fulton County jail after he turned himself in without negotiating a bond.
His social media posts about Freeman, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, and other election officials drew the ire of prosecutors in recent months. The Fulton County District Attorney's Office wanted Floyd sent to jail.
Floyd's bond was ultimately not revoked. However, new restrictions were placed on his social media activity.
Floyd's legal troubles extend beyond the Georgia case. Floyd was arrested in Maryland last year and charged in federal court with assaulting an FBI agent.
FBI agents were attempting to serve Floyd a subpoena in Special Counsel Jack Smith's federal Trump investigation. Online news outlet Politico published video Thursday evening of Floyd describing to Maryland police officers the tense exchange he had with FBI agents.