Harrison Floyd, the former director of Black Voices for Trump, is the only one of 19 co-defendants charged in former President Donald Trump’s election interference case in Georgia still being held in jail.
On Friday, Floyd appeared for his arraignment via video from Fulton County Jail before Judge Emily Richardson, who informed him she would be denying him bail. She claimed he was a flight risk because he was already facing a charge related to an alleged assault against an FBI agent delivering a subpoena linked to the federal election probe case, per NBC News.
“I do find that based on the open charge against you, there are grounds for bond to be denied at this point,” Richardson said during the arraignment. “So I’m going to go ahead and find that you are at risk to commit additional felonies and a potential risk to flee the jurisdiction.”
Richardson added that another judge would revisit the bond issue at a later date.
“A full consideration of bond will be addressed … as your case moves forward,” Richardson said.
Floyd was arraigned without a lawyer. He claimed that retaining legal counsel would cost him between $40,000 and $100,000, which he could not afford, and that he was denied a public defender.
“I’m not going to put my family in that kind of debt, especially with my daughter. I cannot afford an attorney for something like this,” Floyd said.
The judge’s decision to deny him bail surprised Floyd, who tried to plead his case for why he was not a flight risk.
“This charge is a simple misdemeanor ma’am,” Floyd said, referring to the assault charge. “I got on a plane. I voluntarily came here. I am already on federal pretrial supervision. I’ve had no issues with being on pretrial supervision. There’s no way I’m a flight risk, ma’am.”
“I showed up before [former President Trump] was here,” he added. Trump had surrendered the same day as Floyd.
Some politicos weighed in on what transpired at the arraignment.
“Why is Harrison Floyd still detained in Fulton Co. Jail WITHOUT bond? If Georgia succeeds in convicting Floyd or any of these patriots, humanity’s dream of self-governance is fading fast,” tweeted former Sen. Don Huffines (R-Dallas).
“While Dems push ‘cash bail’ for hardened criminals, Harrison Floyd sits in a jail cell with no bond. I guess, the laws of equity don’t apply to Black, Trump supporters,” posted Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT).
The Dallas Express reached out to Rep. Owens, who provided a statement in which he said, “It’s the height of hypocrisy that the same people who push cash bail for lawless, repeatedly violent criminals are ok as Harrison Floyd is denied bail and now sits in one of our country’s most dangerous jails, Fulton County jail. Mr. Floyd is a hardworking, politically-engaged, U.S. Marine veteran, Black man. He’s also a husband and father of young children.” Rep. Owens’ statement concluded by reiterating a point he made in his tweet: “Clearly, “equity” doesn’t matter to the Left when you’re a successful Black, Trump supporter.”
However, some observers laid the blame for Floyd’s predicament at the feet of the former president.
“The real two-tiered system of justice is that all the rich white dudes with lawyers negotiated bonds before their turn ins, and the guy who couldn’t afford a lawyer doesn’t get one. Don’t count on Trump to help,” tweeted former federal and state prosecutor Ron Filipkowski.
