- The Fulton County District Attorney is seriously considering opening a criminal investigation against President Donald Trump, according to The New York Times.
- This follows calls from a watchdog group and Democratic lawmakers for Trump to be investigated for interfering in the 2020 elections.
- The only Democrat on Georgia’s state election board is demanding that an inquiry be announced before February 10, The Washington Post reported.
- The inquiry would focus mainly on Trump’s call to Brad Raffensperger, in which he asked the Secretary of State to “find” 11,780 votes.
- Trump, who would be considering forgiving himself, would not be protected from state prosecution.
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Prosecutors in Georgia are approaching to open a criminal investigation against President Donald Trump, according to The New York Times.
Fulton County’s new district attorney, Fani Willis, is seriously considering launching an official inquiry into Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election results, the newspaper reported.
Willis also deliberated on hiring a special assistant to oversee the investigation, sources told the Times.
Calls for Trump to be investigated came from surveillance groups and Democratic lawmakers.
Read More: Trump’s incitement to the deadly uprising on the United States Capitol adds to an already massive tsunami of legal danger he faces as he leaves the White House. Here’s what awaits you.
Earlier this month, the only Democrat on the Georgia state election board, David Worley, asked Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to examine Trump’s controversial one-hour phone call, according to The Washington Post.
Worley referred to a Georgia state code that makes it illegal to ask someone to commit electoral fraud, the newspaper reported. Violation of § 21-2-604 is punishable by up to three years in prison.
On the Trump call, obtained by the Post, the president asked Raffensperger to “find” 11,780 votes to guarantee a victory over President-elect Joe Biden. This request was rejected.
Since Worley’s request, Raffensperger has noticed a potential conflict of interest in him investigating the conversation. He told ABC News that Fulton County would be a “more appropriate place” to conduct a criminal investigation.
Worley has since warned that if the Fulton County District Attorney does not announce an investigation into the call by the date of the next state electoral council meeting, he would make a motion to forward it to her office, according to The New York Times.
The next meeting is scheduled for February 10, 2021.
If the motion does not result in an official reference, Worley told the paper that he would contact Willis himself and encourage her to start an investigation.
Some legal experts believe Trump’s phone call may have violated state and federal laws, according to Slate.
Read More: Secret Service protection would follow Trump if he went to prison, ex-agents say.
It has been reported that Trump is considering forgiving himself before leaving office – but these efforts may not fully protect him.
Federal pardons do not apply to state lawsuits. Trump therefore runs the risk of being accused of crimes that go beyond his pardoning power.
Trump is already facing criminal investigations brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James and Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance. Both cases are also beyond the scope of a presidential pardon.