ATLANTA – Georgia prosecutors investigating potential criminal interference in the 2020 presidential election by Donald Trump and his allies have notified several Republicans who were part of a voter fraud scheme that they are “targets” of the investigation and could to face charges, according to a court document filed Tuesday.
The information in the filing provides the latest insight into the fast-moving and widening investigation led by Fulton County District Attorney Fannie T. Willis, who requested the convening of a special grand jury earlier this year. Part of the investigation now centers on the 16 Republicans who gathered at the Georgia Capitol on Dec. 14, 2020, as part of an attempt to falsify the state’s Electoral College votes for former President Donald Trump, even though Joe Biden won the state.
The group included Georgia Republican Party Chairman David J. Shaffer, lieutenant governor candidate Burt Jones, county GOP representatives, a former state lawmaker and local conservative activists.
Attorneys for 11 of those 16 Republicans, including Shaffer, said in a new lawsuit that their clients received grand jury subpoenas on June 1, then were notified in late June that they were considered targets of the investigation instead of witnesses. They argue in the filing that the subpoenas are “unreasonable and oppressive” and voters will to invoke the Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination after advice of counsel. They considered the new designation a “publicity gimmick.”
In the filings, voters say they were unaware of broader legal efforts by Trump’s legal team, including Rudy Giuliani and John Eastman, to use the list of “alternative voters” to help challenge the results of the 2020 presidential election. d. They also argued that the prosecutors’ investigation was “political interference” stemming from “local passions and prejudices.”
That defense echoes a November 2020 legal memo from Trump legal counsel Kenneth Chesebrough, whom the Georgia special grand jury also subpoenaed, that develops an unorthodox legal theory that hinges on the 1960 presidential election in Hawaii, when the state briefly created two alternate lists of voters until the state conducts a recount.
Jones, a state senator, received a letter informing him that he was also the subject of the investigation, according to a person familiar with the documents. Yahoo News first reported that Jones and two other Republicans received those letters.
A “target” letter is often the last step a local or federal prosecutor will take to inform a person who is likely to be charged before formal charges are filed. Jones has filed a motion to disqualify Willis from presiding over the case because she sponsored a fundraiser for Jones’ Democratic rival in the lieutenant governor race, Charlie Bailey.
In response to Jones’ motion, the district attorney’s office wrote to the court that Willis should not be disqualified because Jones “was treated the same way” as other fraudulent voters and that none of the district attorney’s activities were “out of the character as an officer of the law specially assigned to oversee the grand jury investigation for a special purpose.’
Brandon Beach, a state senator, also received a “targeting” letter last week for what prosecutors say was his role in facilitating communications between fraudulent voters and the Trump campaign, according to a person familiar with the documents. Internal campaign communications obtained by The Post reveal that officials knew the effort was legally unfounded and thus instructed constituents to be discreet in their activities at the Georgia Capitol.
A Fulton County special grand jury began deliberations in June and has identified more than 100 persons of interest. The authority has already heard testimony from Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) and his team, Georgia Attorney General Christopher M. Carr (R), state legislators and local election officials. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) is scheduled to submit a written statement under oath to a special grand jury next week.
In July, grand juries issued substantive subpoenas for several members of Trump’s legal team, including Chesebro, Eastman, Giuliani, as well as attorneys Jenna Ellis, Cleta Mitchell and conservative commentator Jackie Peake Deason.
Two members of Congress and close allies of Trump have also been subpoenaed in the investigation. Rep. Jody Hees (R-Ga.) challenged the subpoena, arguing that federal law allows him to move any requests for testimony in federal court.
Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (RS.C.), who is of interest to the committee because of phone calls he made to Raffensperger about Georgia’s election system, cited the U.S. Constitution’s Speech and Debate Clause as protecting him from subpoenas. On Tuesday, Graham agreed to move all future challenges to the grand jury subpoena to state and federal courts in Georgia.
The January 6 Uprising
The House Special Committee investigating the January 6, 2021 riot held a series of high-level hearings over the summer. Read the final summary of the hearing.
Congressional Hearings: The House Committee investigating the attack on the US Capitol held a series of hearings to share its findings with the US public. The sixth hearing included explosive testimony from Cassidy Hutchinson, a former White House aide.
Will there be a fee? The committee could press charges against former President Donald Trump for his role in the attack, Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) said in an interview.
What we know about what Trump did on January 6: New details emerged when Hutchinson testified before the commission and shared what she saw and heard on January 6.
The Rebellion: On January 6, 2021, a pro-Trump mob stormed the US Capitol in an attempt to stop the certification of the 2020 election results. Five people died that day or shortly thereafter, and 140 police officers were attacked.
Inside the Siege: During the riot, rioters came dangerously close to breaking into the building’s inner sanctums while lawmakers were still inside, including former Vice President Mike Pence. The Washington Post examined text messages, photos and videos to create a video timeline of what happened on January 6.
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