According to the New York Times, prosecutors in Georgia are moving towards a criminal investigation into Donald Trump’s election wrongdoings.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is said to be seriously considering a probe of Trump’s attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 Presidential Election in the state of Georgia.
At this time, Willis is debating on hiring a special assistant to oversee the official inquiry sources told Times.
Watchdog groups and Democrats are calling on investigators to look into Trump’s criminal offenses.
David Worley, a member of Georgia’s election board, called on Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to review Trump’s controversial call to him. Worley cites Georgia State Code § 21-2-604, which makes it illegal for someone to solicit someone into committing election fraud—and a violator could face up to three years in jail.
Trump placed a call to the SOS, urging him to “find 11,780” votes, which would secure his state’s win. However, Raffensperger declined to do so.
Raffensperger noted a potential conflict of interest if he investigated the situation and suggested that Fulton County conduct it since it is a more “appropriate venue” for criminal investigations.
Worley is not backing down. He has warned the District Attorney’s office by saying if they don’t announce an inquiry into that call by the election board’s next meeting, then he will make a motion to refer it to her office, Yahoo reports.
The state election board will meet again on February 10 of this year.
If Worley’s motion doesn’t provoke an official referral, he will contact the DA and urge her to launch an investigation.
Several legal experts say that Trump’s call may be a violation of both state and federal laws, Slate reported.
On the other hand, Trump has mentioned pardoning himself before his term ends; however, that strategy may not protect him for what’s to come if prosecutors move forward.
According to Yahoo, federal pardons aren’t applicable when it comes to state prosecutions. Therefore, he’s still at risk for offenses that override his power.
Georgia is not the only state Trump has to worry about. New York attorney general Letitia James and Manhattan district attorney Cyrus Vance have brought up criminal investigations against him, which also goes beyond his presidential powers.