Harrison William Prescott Floyd III[1] is a military veteran, politician and former Executive Director on President Trump's 2020 re-election campaign.[2] He is also one of the 19 defendants indicted in 2023 in Fulton County, Georgia.

Early life and military service

Harrison Floyd previously served as a U.S. Marine between 2003 - 2014.[1] In a 2019 campaign press release, it stated he had multiple combat deployments to Saqlawiyah and Ramadi, Iraq.[3] In online profiles, interviews, and press releases, Floyd said that his assignments and certifications included machine gunner, combat marksmanship trainer, and martial arts instructor trainer,[4] and he earned a combined bachelor's and master's degree from George Washington University after leaving active duty.[3]

Political career

In 2019, Floyd announced his candidacy for the Georgia's 7th congressional district as a Republican, but dropped out of the race just over a month later to work on President Trump's 2020 re-election campaign.[2][1] Floyd led the black outreach effort of the campaign called Black Voices for Trump.[2]

Pending criminal cases

Maryland assault case

In May 2023, Floyd was charged in federal court in Maryland with simple assault against a federal officer.[5][2][1] In an affidavit, an FBI agent stated that Floyd had aggressively confronted him and "body-slammed" him in February 2023, at Floyd's apartment in Rockville, Maryland, as agents tried to serve Floyd with a federal grand jury subpoena related to the U.S. Department of Justice's investigation into efforts to overturn the Presidential results of the 2020 election.[5][2][1] However, a police report shows Floyd initially called law enforcement and claimed he and his daughter were accosted by the agents. Floyd was subsequently arrested by local police 10 hours after the alleged assault took place; a federal magistrate judge released him pending trial on the condition that he surrender his passport and not possess weapons.[1]

Georgia election racketeering prosecution

In August 2023, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis charged Floyd, along with former President Donald Trump and 17 others, with violating Georgia's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. Floyd was also charged with influencing a witness and conspiracy to commit solicitation of false statements.[2] Floyd is one of two black defendants charged in the Georgia case; the other is Trevian Kutti.[1][6] Floyd and two other Trump allies—Kutti, a Chicago-based publicist, and Stephen Cliffgard Lee, a former police officer—are accused of harassing a Georgia election worker into falsely confessing to supposed election crimes.[1][7]

Of the 19 defendants, Floyd was the only one DA Fani Willis did not previously make arrangements for release on bond.[6][8] The Fulton County DA's office claimed, after surrendering on August 24, this is the reason he was held for six days at the Fulton County Jail; However, at an emergency hearing 24 hours after his arrest, Judge Emily Richardson deemed Floyd a flight risk.[9] This sparked an enormous backlash in the conservative community, and over $330,000 was crowdfunded for Floyd's legal defense.[10] After public outcry of arresting the only black male defendant, on August 29, a judge set a bond amount ($100,000) along with conditions of pretrial release, and he was released the next day.[8][11] He waived arraignment and entered a plea of not guilty.[12]

In September 2023, after his release from jail while awaiting trial, Floyd said that he and Joe Oltmann were directing $72,000 in contributions to his legal defense fund to help post bail for inmates in Georgia. He said the effort would prioritize parents charged with nonviolent crimes.[13]

In November 2023, Fulton County DA Fani Willis failed to revoke the Floyd's bond citing his social media posts. DA Willis stated he had “engaged in numerous intentional and flagrant violations” of his bond agreement. Posting on rebranded Twitter his "effort to intimidate codefendants and witnesses, to communicate directly and indirectly with codefendants and witnesses, and to otherwise obstruct the administration of justice.” Judge Scott McAfee found no intimidation in any of Floyd's cited posts. However, he did find a technical violation regarding tagging witnesses on the platform X. Judge McAfee declined to remand Floyd, and instead ordered a revision of his bond.[14]

Personal life

Floyd has a wife and daughter.[1] He currently lives in North Bethesda, Maryland.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Yvonne Wingett Sanchez, Devlin Barrett and Patrick Marley (August 23, 2023). "Defendant in Trump Georgia case was earlier charged with attacking FBI agent". Washington Post.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Who Is Harrison Floyd: Trump Co-Defendant And Black Voices For Trump Leader Still In Fulton County Jail". Forbes. Aug 26, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 "Harrison Floyd Announces Candidacy For 7th Congressional District of Georgia" (Press release). May 7, 2019 – via Metro Atlanta CEO.
  4. ↑ "What diversity means to one Marine". Audacy, Connecting Vets. February 8, 2019.
  5. 1 2 Russ Bynum, A Trump supporter indicted in Georgia is also charged with assaulting an FBI agent in Maryland, NBC Washington (August 25, 2023).
  6. 1 2 Harrison Floyd III, one of two Black people indicted with Trump, is the only one still in jail, The Grio (August 25, 2023).
  7. ↑ Trump Georgia indictment: Who are Trevian Kutti, Harrison Floyd and Stephen Lee?, Reuters (August 16, 2023).
  8. 1 2 Kate Brumback, The only defendant in the Georgia election indictment to spend time in jail is released on bond, Associated Press (August 30, 2023).
  9. ↑
  10. ↑ https://www.givesendgo.com/Official_Harrison_Fund.
  11. ↑ Peter Charalambous, Harrison Floyd, only defendant held in Georgia election case, released from Fulton County Jail, ABC News (August 31, 2023).
  12. ↑ List of those who have entered pleas in Georgia election interference case, FOX 5 Atlanta (September 5, 2023).
  13. ↑ "Trump Georgia indictment defendant says he's paying bond for some Fulton County inmates". Atlanta News First. September 12, 2023.
  14. ↑ "Prosecutor asks judge to revoke bond for Harrison Floyd in Georgia election case". AP. November 15, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
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