Georgia Prosecutor Probing Attempts to Influence 2020 Election

A district attorney on Wednesday asked state officials to preserve records potentially related to the 2020 election as she revealed her office has opened a probe into attempts to influence the administration of the election.

The investigation includes “potential violations of Georgia law prohibiting the solicitation of election fraud, the making of false statements to state and local governmental bodies, conspiracy, racketeering, violation of oath of office and any involvement in violence or threats related to the election’s administration,” Democrat Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said in letters to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp and other officials.

Willis asked Kemp, Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, and Attorney General Chris Carr to preserve all records potentially related to the administration of the election.

Particular care, she said, should be given to records that “may be evidence of attempts to influence the actions of persons who were administering the election.”

Attempts to destroy the records would be a violation of criminal law, the prosecutor noted.

Raffensperger’s office confirmed receipt of a letter from Willis and noted preservation of all election documents is already required by law for 22 months. The office declined further comment.

The offices of Kemp and Carr didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Willis did not mention former President Donald Trump by name and her office didn’t respond when asked whether she is probing a phone call he had with Raffensperger and other officials on Jan. 2 concerning the presidential election in Georgia.

Raffensperger’s office earlier this week opened an investigation into the call described as “fact finding and administrative.”

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger gives an update on the state of the election and ballot count during a news conference at the State Capitol in Atlanta, Ga., on Nov. 6, 2020. (Dustin Chambers/Reuters)

Trump claimed in the call to have won Georgia over Democrat Joe Biden despite Biden being certified the winner following several recounts. He also at one point said he wanted to “find 11,780 votes” as he discussed state officials probing claims of election irregularities.

Trump’s campaign defended the call, saying the former president was “spot-on in his criticisms of the terrible job Raffensperger did.” Raffensperger called the requests from Trump “just plain wrong.”

The discussion was referenced in the article of impeachment against Trump approved by the House of Representatives in mid-January. They said Trump “threatened” Raffensperger if the state official failed to find enough votes to overturn the election.

Willis alluded to the call in her letters to officials.

“It has come to our attention via media reports that contacts were made by subjects of the investigation with other agencies that could be investigating this matter,” including Raffensperger, she said.

The prosecutor, who was elected last year, claimed her office is the only one with jurisdiction that it not a witness to the conduct being investigated.

Willis said she would request grand jury subpoenas as necessary in March and that no Georgia official is a target of the probe at this time.