First Trump co-defendant pleads guilty in Georgia election case – live

The first of Donald Trump’s 18 co-defendants listed in the Georgia election interference case has pled guilty to five charges.

Scott Hall, a bail bondsman, pleaded guilty to five misdemeanour counts on Friday as part of a negotiated deal.

Hall, who was accused of tampering with electronic voting machines in Coffee County, will serve five years probation, 200 hours of community service and pay of $5,000 as part of his sentencing agreement.

The development in the Georgia case comes as Mr Trump’s own legal troubles continue to unfold with the New York civil trial stemming from a multi-million dollar fraud lawsuit targeting the ex-president, his adult sons and chief associates likely to begin next week – after an appeals court rejected a last-ditch attempt to stall the hearings.

Both the prosecution and defence teams revealed their proposed witness lists on Thursday, including a slew of employees and business contacts of the Trump Organization as well as members of the family and former associates, including ex-fixer Michael Cohen.