Emily Kohrs, the foreperson of the special grand jury in an alleged election meddling investigation into former President Donald Trump, found herself at the center of a storm last week after speaking candidly with various media outlets.
Kohrs did a round of interviews with local and national media, including stops on CNN and MSNBC. Kohrs, who's 30, implied she had permission to speak with media as long as she spoke within specific parameters. If Kohrs managed to stay within those parameters, which is still up for debate according to some -- she did so rather loosely. Kohrs' excessive and exaggerated facial expressions appeared to hint (strongly) at a lot.
When confronted with pointed questions, Kohrs attempted to walk the razor-thin tightrope of answering questions without potentially tainting an entire case. Before answering certain questions, Kohrs reportedly consulted notes she wrote down that contained instructions from Judge Robert McBurney. However, try as she might, Kohrs' balancing act on that tightrope carried about as much grace as a newborn giraffe. Kohrs giggled throughout, and you got the sense that she didn't grasp the gravity of the situation.
Trump's lawyers referred to Kohrs' interviews as "truly shocking" and claimed that it was proof the investigation lacked credibility. There were also reports that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis was, to say the least, not happy with Kohrs' media tour.
In a twist of irony, an MSNBC contributor called Kohrs' press tour "reckless." While many wouldn't disagree, it's worth noting that some of Kohrs' most viral soundbites were from an MSNBC on-air interview.
In an interview with Fox News, attorney Andrew McCarthy said Kohrs' actions were a significant blow to the investigation.
Kohrs has been widely lambasted for her giggling soundbites and was even parodied (of course) on the last episode of Saturday Night Live. Seeing someone torched and vilified mercilessly is never a comfortable thing. Kohrs is a human being and does deserve some compassion.
Being under a microscope of this magnitude is a scenario few will ever be in, and coming off awkwardly is understandable.
But it's fair to question what was going through Kohrs' head when she concluded it was an acceptable idea to embark on this press tour. And why those around her didn't implore her from doing so.
On the federal level, jurors are forbidden to speak about what happens in the jury room or what witnesses say. However, in Georgia, the oath only states jurors cannot discuss deliberations.
Kohrs discussed and hinted at how some witnesses behaved and how much those witnesses testified, or lack thereof. She also talked about how prosecutors interacted with witnesses. In an interview with ABC, Judge McBurney emphasized that anything witness testimony related is not part of deliberations.
So, as clumsy as Kohrs was, she may narrowly get through this without becoming the unofficial poster child of what not to do as a jury foreperson in a high-profile case. Though regardless of how this case unfolds, she might have already captured that dubious title anyways.
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