Prosecutors in Georgia told 16 Republicans who signed up as bogus voters after the 2020 presidential election could be subject to criminal charges as part of a broader investigation into former President Donald Trump’s attempts to reverse Joe Biden’s victory in the state. Huh.
The office of Fulton County District Attorney Fannie Willis revealed a dramatic jump in the case in a court filing Tuesday, telling the group of Trump supporters that she had been named as a “target” in the investigation. 16 Republicans gather at the Georgia Capitol on December 14, 2020 to sign an “informal election certificate” declaring Trump the winner of the state’s presidential vote.
Biden had won Georgia and secured 16 of his electoral college votes.
“Each of the sixteen persons who signed the informal voter certificate eventually submitted to the National Archives, received a similar target letter, warning the person that his or her testimony was required by a special purpose grand jury and that he was the target of an investigation. ,” prosecutors wrote in a filing Tuesday.
The group includes several high-ranking Republicans in the state, including state Sen. Bert Jones, who is running for lieutenant governor, and Trump aide David Shaffer, who chairs the Georgia Republican Party.
Fake voters being the target of the investigation, rather than just witnesses, reflects the growing scope of Willis’ investigation. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution said his office is investigating whether Trump or anyone in his class broke state laws when he sought to overturn Biden’s victory, including laws on electoral fraud and counterfeiting statues. were involved. Trump’s January 2, 2021, call to pressure Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “get 11,780 votes” – enough to reverse Biden’s victory margin – is seen as crucial to any investigation.
Willis is seeking testimony from a slate of figures, including attorneys Rudy Giuliani and Sen. Lindsey Graham (RSC), as part of a special grand jury surrounding the former president’s attempt to stay in power. She could even go on to summon Trump herself.
The New York Times said the Atlanta investigation represents some of the most pressing legal threats to Trump and his allies, even as a House Select Committee hearing continues on the US Capitol on January 6.
Lawyers for 11 of the Republicans have ridiculed the investigation, accusing Willis of “abusing the grand jury process, attempting to harass, embarrass, and intimidate nominated voters, not investigating his conduct.” For.” Most of the false voters were set to testify before the grand jury the following week, but lawyers said the subpoenas were “inappropriate and oppressive” and that many of their clients would invoke their Fifth Amendment charges against self-incrimination.
Republicans have argued that they were acting legally, saying that their “electoral” votes depended on whether the court considered them the legitimate voter and the winner of the state, Trump. They also say they were not aware of a widespread national effort by Trump and his allies to block the authentication of electoral votes on then-Vice President Mike Pence on January 6, 2021.
Pence dismissed those attempts.
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