The Georgia DA is investigating Trump more closely over the decision on the charges

[ad_1]

ATLANTA (AP) – Prosecutors are weighing whether Donald Trump and others have committed crimes by trying to pressure Georgia officials to scrap Joe Biden’s presidential election victory, saying the decision on whether to file a lawsuit. Cases may come early this year.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said in an interview with The Associated Press last week that his team is making solid progress, and he is inclined to ask for a special grand jury with subpoena power to help investigation.

“I believe in 2022 a decision will be made in that case,” Willis said. “I certainly think that in the first half of the year decisions will be made.”

But Willis told the AP he did not impose deadlines on his staff and urged them to be thorough in their review.

He assembled a team of less than 10 people – lawyers, investigators and a legal assistant – who were primarily focused on the case and could consult with outside lawyers with particular expertise in some particular field of law, he said.

“We’ll just take the facts, take the law, be very methodical, very patient and, to some extent, not emotional about this search for justice,” he said.

Willis declined to speak about the details, but he confirmed that the scope of the investigation includes – but is not limited to – a Jan. 2, 2021, phone call between Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a phone call in November 2020 between U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham and Raffensperger, the sudden resignation of the U.S. attorney in Atlanta in January. 4, 2021, and comments made at the December 2020 hearings of Georgia’s legislative election committee.

Willis is not alone in investigating attempts by Trump and his allies to reverse his election defeat in 2020. The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee released a report in October based on a review of documents and interviews with former officials. And a U.S. House committee is preparing to release the findings of its investigation into the deadly unrest in the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, which includes talks with election officials forced by the former president. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Justice Department will “follow the facts wherever they lead.”

Willis’s questioning isn’t the only state criminal investigation involving Trump. New York prosecutors are subpoenaing Trump and his two eldest sons in their investigation into his businesses.

A Trump spokesman dismissed the investigation into Fulton as a “witch hunt” with political motives when it went public in February, after Willis instructed Georgia’s top elected officials to keep any relevant records. in general elections, specifically any evidence of attempts to influence election officials. The investigation included “potential violations of Georgia law prohibiting solicitation of election fraud, making false statements to state and local government bodies, conspiracy, racketeering, violation of the oath of office and any involvement. to violence or threats related to the election administration, ”the letters said.

Willis said he has not yet decided whether to ask the Fulton County Superior Court chief judge to impeach a special grand jury. While he can decide if he has enough for an indictment based on the evidence and witnesses who voluntarily speak to his team, he said, a special grand jury can help to force those who refuse testify without subpoena.

“I want the investigations to be complete and so we will probably move in the direction of a special grand jury,” he said.

As usual, Willis said he would not be rushed or influenced by intense public interest in this case.

“I just think the public should be patient – you know, go ahead, lead your life – trust that they elected a district attorney who knows this is a serious issue, takes it seriously and we’re doing our job on it, ” he says.

Since his absence, Trump has made repeated unsubstantiated claims that widespread fraud cost him the election. Some of his supporters are targeting election officials and workers, in Georgia and across the country, making violent threats against them. Willis, a Democrat, said people were unhappy that he was considering possible criminal charges against the former Republican president who made threats and “expressed their frustration in an unreasonable way that I believe would hurt them. me. “

Having been a prosecutor for 17 years in the office he now heads, Willis said the threats are not new to him.

“They are really wasting their time. It’s not going to hinder me from doing my job, period, ”she said.“ I’m not going to do less or more because, you know, you’re trying to hurt me because I’m Black or female or a political party. We were elected to do the work and that is what I will sit here and do. ”

[ad_2]