Georgia case Trump report findings could lead to criminal prosecution

The release last week of a portion of the Fulton county special purpose grand jury’s report marks a new step toward potential criminal charges holding Donald Trump and his allies accountable for election interference.

- Carlisa N Johnson

Georgia was crucial in the 2020 presidential election, providing a key victory for Joe Biden and drawing the intense focus of Trump and his backers.

“I just want to find 11,780 votes,” Trump said on the now infamous phone call to the Georgia secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger. During the call, Trump maintained that widespread voter fraud took place in Georgia, claiming he had in fact won the state despite audits confirming the validity of election results.

This call sparked the initial Fulton county investigation and now fuels Fulton district attorney Fani Willis’s ability to bring charges. Unlike other investigations into Trump’s legal and business matters, the case is meant to face the former president’s election meddling head-on.

The report excerpt revealed last week recommends that charges be filed against a majority of witnesses who lied under oath and concludes there was not widespread voter fraud in Georgia during the 2020 election. It illustrates Fulton county’s role in looking to reveal how Trump and his allies sowed seeds of election interference and denialism during the election.