Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who is investigating efforts by then-President Donald Trump and his allies to undercut Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential election victory in the state of Georgia, will also be examining efforts in the state to put together faked electoral votes on Trump’s behalf, she says. Justifications for the faked electoral votes have included the notion that they would’ve helped keep election challenges viable by preserving a so-called “remedy” should courts have backed Trump, but there’s never been any real-world indication that challenges to the integrity of Biden’s win would be successful.
Just in: Jan. 6 committee chair Bennie Thompson tells reporters the panel will hold at least 8 public hearings, spread out over the month of June with some in prime time
— Hugo Lowell (@hugolowell) April 28, 2022
Already known focuses of Willis’s investigation include an infamous phone conversation that then-President Trump had with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) early last year. On the call, Trump pleaded with the Georgia elections official to “find” enough votes to flip the state, although doing so would have required fraudulently meddling with the process since there wasn’t any evidence of widespread missing votes. Willis’s investigation extends to, among other things, a conversation that Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) had with Raffensperger in the aftermath of the 2020 election in which the South Carolina Republican asked about throwing out mail-in votes en masse. Raffensperger consistently resisted these pushes.
New: Oath Keeper member Brian Ulrich pleads guilty to seditious conspiracy and obstruction of an official proceeding on Jan. 6 — the second Oath Keeper to do so after Joshua James, who provided security to Roger Stone.
— Hugo Lowell (@hugolowell) April 29, 2022
As for the faked Georgia electoral votes, Willis told CNN’s Anderson Cooper: “We’re going to look at anything connected with interference with the 2020 election… I’ve allowed that to be a broad scope, not just the [former] president’s phone call that you played there but other things that indicate that there may have been interference with that election, to include fake electorates… That is of interest to my office.”
Jan. 6 committee member Adam Kinzinger says on CBS hearings will lay out “what led to January 6, the lies after the election, fundraising, the 187 minutes the president basically sat in the Oval Office” during the Capitol attack.
— Hugo Lowell (@hugolowell) May 2, 2022
Authorities at the U.S. Justice Department have also taken a look at the faked electoral votes, although Willis indicated she didn’t intend to coordinate her election interference investigation with federal efforts. “What their investigation would be is obviously election fraud that may have occurred anyplace in this great country,” Willis said, discussing federal authorities. “Mine is much smaller — a big investigation, but much smaller. I am only looking into election interference in the state of Georgia and, more specifically, things that they asked for around that call that occurred in my county, Fulton County.” A special grand jury tied to her investigation was recently seated, and it seems like dozens of individuals could expect subpoenas. Special grand juries focus on single — rather than multiple — issues and can issue subpoenas, although they can’t issue indictments. Over 50 people declined to voluntarily speak with investigators working on James’s probe, “and so what we plan to do is to start serving them with subpoenas,” Willis explained.
BREAKING: Jan. 6 committee requests cooperation from House Republicans Andy Biggs, Mo Brooks and Ronny Jackson — with more letters to come.
— Hugo Lowell (@hugolowell) May 2, 2022
According to CNN, Georgia Republican Party chairperson David Shafer told the House committee investigating the Capitol riot back in February that the Trump campaign “directed” Republicans to “put forward an alternate slate of electors” after Biden won Georgia. In other words, the fake electoral vote scheme also connects to Trump. Rudy Giuliani, a former New York City mayor and longtime Trump ally who was involved in assembling the faked electoral votes, will apparently soon be speaking with the riot committee.
New: House Republican Mo Brooks refuses Jan. 6 committee request for cooperation: “At one time I would have voluntarily testified before the Nancy Pelosi Witch Hunt Committee… But that time has long passed.”
— Hugo Lowell (@hugolowell) May 2, 2022
