Lawyer Lin Wood is now under investigation by Georgia election officials over possible issues surrounding his residence.
ATLANTA – Election officials are investigating whether one of the most outspoken supporters of the allegation that the presidential election was stolen through widespread electoral fraud moved to South Carolina before voting in Georgia last fall.
Lawyer Lin Wood was one of former President Donald Trump’s biggest supporters in alleging that the fraud cost him re-election.
Georgia’s secretary of state’s office opened an investigation on Tuesday about where Wood is living, according to the investigative case sheet. Wood was listed as a resident in Fulton County and personally voted for Georgia in the November presidential election, according to records on the agency’s website.
Authorities are now trying to determine whether Wood had moved to South Carolina once and for all before voting in Georgia last fall.
Wood announced the change on social media on Monday, without mentioning the exact timing at first.
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“LATEST NEWS! I moved my legal residence from the state of Georgia to the state of South Carolina!” he posted on Telegram. “South Carolina welcomed me. Georgia falsely accused me and avoided me. I am thrilled with my move.”
The lawyer acknowledges that he bought a property in South Carolina last fall and spent some time there, but says he considered himself a resident of Georgia until 2020.
According to Wood, he personally voted for Georgia on October 21, but did not vote again in the second round of the Senate in January.
Wood also criticized the investigation in another Telegram post on Tuesday, calling Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger “a loser”.
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“I just yesterday announced my move to South Carolina EFFECTIVE yesterday, February 1st!” He wrote. “Until yesterday, I have lived in Georgia since 1955. Ha! The enemy’s attacks are getting weaker and weaker.”
Georgia law says that a person’s residence must be considered “the place where that person’s home is fixed, with no present intention of withdrawing from it”. It also says that if a person moves to another state “with the intention of making that person’s residence, that person will be considered as having lost that person’s residence in that state”.
Wood is also being examined by the Georgia State Bar, which said it is “conducting an investigation” about Wood. The state attorney’s rule cited as the basis for the investigation says that if your disciplinary board finds that a lawyer can be “harmed or incapacitated to practice the law” as a result of mental illness, cognitive impairment or substance abuse, the council can make a confidential statement referral to a suitable mental health professional or physician for evaluation.
Wood said in Telegram that he is “in good judgment”, has not violated any professional conduct rules and will fight against the order of lawyers in court, if necessary.
Wood is known for his representation of important clients – including Richard Jewell, who was unjustly accused in the 1996 Olympic bombing in Atlanta – particularly in defamation cases.
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Wood insisted that Donald Trump actually won the election, but was armed for him to lose. He filed lawsuits on his own and with attorney Sidney Powell, who continued to fight for Trump even after she was removed from his legal team. Wood and Powell were criticized by Republican leaders after they encouraged Georgia voters not to vote in the second round of the US Senate. Wood and Powell said the runoff would be rigged and questioned Republican David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler’s loyalty to Trump before their defeats put the Senate in Democratic control.
State and federal officials have repeatedly said that there was no evidence of widespread electoral fraud in Georgia or any other state, and dozens of lawsuits making such allegations have been rejected by the courts.
Last year, an LLC linked to Wood purchased three plantations totaling more than $ 16 million in Beaufort County, South Carolina, a coastal area south of Charleston popular with retirees, known for its low-lying swamps.
According to The Island Packet of Hilton Head, Wood recognized the formation of The Tomotley Crew LLC, through which it purchased more than 2,000 acres in the area, including Tomotley Plantation. The $ 7.9 million property on more than 1,000 acres includes a 14-acre lake and half-mile inlets lined with oak trees that were planted in 1820.
“Let’s say that between Lowcountry and Georgia, I just found Lowcountry in South Carolina much more attractive in terms of residency,” Wood told the newspaper in a story published on Wednesday, noting that he would continue to practice law in Atlanta desk.
Wood told the newspaper that he plans to preserve the land and is evaluating projects, including the construction of a chapel, a dog rescue facility and a children’s camp.
“I want to try to do good things for other people,” said Wood. “And I hope everyone will discover that I am a good neighbor and a good citizen of South Carolina.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.