The first co-defendants in the election racketeering case facing former US president Donald Trump have surrendered to the authorities in the state of Georgia.
Mr Trump's former lawyer John Eastman and Republican Party poll watcher Scott Hall both turned themselves in to the sheriff's office in Fulton County.
The ex-president said he plans to surrender on Thursday in Atlanta in connection with his indictment on charges he sought to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state, according to a post on social media.
"I'll be going to Atlanta, Georgia, on Thursday to be ARRESTED," Mr Trump said on his Truth Social platform.
It is his fourth criminal indictment this year.
Mr Trump, the front-runner for the Republican nomination to contest next year's presidential election, has criticised all the prosecutions, describing them as politically motivated, and continues to claim falsely that his 2020 loss to Democratic President Joe Biden was the result of fraud.
Mr Eastman said in a statement that he would surrender, the day after agreeing to a $100,000 (€92,000) bond agreement.
"I am here today to surrender to an indictment that should never have been brought.
"It represents a crossing of the Rubicon for our country, implicating the fundamental First Amendment right to petition the government for redress of grievances."
Mr Hall was booked by the county's sheriff's office and has not yet been released, jail records showed.
He previously agreed to a $10,000 (€9,200) bond deal requiring that he report to pre-trial supervision every 30 days.
Mr Trump agreed yesterday to post a $200,000 (€185,000) bond and accepted bail conditions that would bar him from threatening co-defendants or witnesses in the case.
In a 41-count Georgia indictment released last week, Mr Trump and 18 other defendants were charged with racketeering and other crimes over their efforts to reverse his loss in the state to Mr Biden.
Prosecutors are seeking a trial in March, but the number of defendants and complexity of the case could lead to delays.
Mark Meadows, Mr Trump's former chief of staff, sought last week to move the case to federal court and dismiss it on the grounds he is immune from prosecution for actions he took as a federal official.
The former president and the rest of the defendants are likely to raise similar arguments, which could cause delays as their lawyers spar with prosecutors in pretrial litigation.
Mr Trump faces indictments in three other separate criminal cases.
He has been charged in Washington over his efforts to overturn the election, in Florida over his handling of classified documents upon leaving office, and in New York over a hush money payment to an adult film star.
Security will be tightened around the jail when Mr Trump surrenders, the sheriff's office said.
He has repeatedly asserted without evidence that indictments against him are "witch-hunts".
He has regularly attacked Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis online and called her "radical left" and "corrupt".
Ms Willis gave the defendants until Friday at 12pm (5pm Irish time) to surrender or face arrest.
Mr Trump's surrender - on Thursday - will come a day after the first Republican primary presidential debate that the former president does not plan to attend.
