The office of Georgia’s Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, opened an investigation into the phone call by former President Donald Trump on Jan. 2, asking Raffensperger to overturn the state election results.
“All I want to do is this: I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have. Because we won the state,” said Trump to Raffensperger by phone, who is expected to play a prominent role in the Trump trial campaign impeachment this week.
Raffensperger’s office confirmed that it opened the investigation after receiving a complaint about Trump’s conduct.
“The secretary of state’s office investigates the complaints it receives. The investigations are of an administrative and fact-finding nature. Any additional legal efforts will be left to the attorney general,” said Walter Jones, a spokesman for Raffensperger’s office.
The state attorney general’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday night.
Upon completion of the investigation, investigators will make their findings available to the State Electoral Council, which is made up of two Republicans and two Democrats and is chaired by Raffensperger. The council can decide to close the case, send a reprimand or forward the case to the prosecutor.
In a statement last month, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis described the call as “disturbing” and left the door open for an investigation.
“Anyone who violates Georgian law in my jurisdiction will be held responsible. Once the investigation is completed, this matter, like everyone else, will be dealt with by our office based on the facts and the law,” said Willis then.
Legal experts said the call may have violated federal and state electoral laws, but that it would be a difficult case to prosecute.
Raffensperger, a Republican, drew Trump’s fury by reacting against allegations of widespread electoral fraud in Georgia in the weeks after the election. A transcript of the call was released after Trump tweeted that he had spoken to Raffensperger and that Raffensperger was “reluctant or unable” to answer his already unmasked questions about electoral fraud.
Trump praised the call at his January 6 rally, before the deadly revolt of his supporters on the United States Capitol.
“In Georgia, his secretary of state, who – I can’t believe this guy is a Republican. He loves to record phone conversations. You know, it was one – I thought it was a great conversation, personally. Many others – people love this conversation because it says what’s going on, “Trump said then. “These people are crooked.”
