Some Could Go To Prison, Lead Prosecutor Reportedly Says

Topline

A Fulton County, Georgia, grand jury investigation into former President Donald Trump and his allies’ attempts to overturn election results may result in prison sentences for those implicated in the probe, the panel’s lead prosecutor told the Washington Post this week.

Fulton County Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis is photographed in her office.

Key Facts

The panel has heard credible allegations that indicate people committed serious crimes, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis told the Post in an interview Tuesday.

At least 17 people have been identified as targets in the investigation, Willis said, while declining to name the people, although Trump’s former personal attorney Rudy Giuliani has been told he is a target, according to Guiliani’s legal team.

Some 16 fake electors who met at the Georgia state capitol in 2020 to cast ballots in favor of Trump despite him losing the state have also reportedly been told they are under criminal investigation and could face prosecution.

The team will also add other targets to the list soon, Willis told the Post.

Crucial Quote

“The allegations are very serious. If indicted and convicted, people are facing prison sentences,” Willis said in the interview. It could take months to indict those involved, according to the Post.

What To Watch For

Prosecutors will likely decide later this fall whether to ask Trump to testify before the panel, Willis said.

Key Background

Willis launched the special grand jury investigation in February 2021 to investigate Trump’s post-election conduct. She did so after a recording of a call between Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger was published by the Post, in which Trump asked Raffensperger to “find” votes for him in a state he lost. The panel has subpoenaed a host of people close to Trump, including Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Giuiliani, conservative legal scholar John Eastman and Trump-allied lawyers Jenna Ellis, Cleta Mitchell and Kenneth Chesebro. The grand jury will finish its fact-finding stage of the probe before the end of the year, Willis told the Post. The panel could recommend criminal charges, though a separate grand jury would need to indict Trump or any others involved. Several Trump allies, including Giuliani and Graham, have resisted subpoenas to appear before the committee, though Giuliani testified last month and a judge has ruled Graham must also appear. Trump’s post-election conduct is also the subject of the House January 6 committee probe, which has included interviews with more than a thousand witnesses, including several former Trump aides, about the Capitol riots.

Tangent

Trump told right-wing radio host Hugh Hewitt Thursday morning he has not been notified he is a target in any criminal investigation. He also claimed he wasn’t involved in Republican Party efforts to submit fake electors in his favor in seven swing states, though Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel has told the House January 6 committee that Trump was involved.