Atlanta-area DA tells Georgia GOP chair he could be indicted in election probe
(CNN)The Atlanta-area district attorney investigating Donald Trump and his allies’ efforts to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia sent a target letter to state Republican party Chair David Shafer, warning him that he may be indicted as part of her investigation, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
Shafer, who has faced inquiries from federal investigators, Georgia prosecutors and the House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, acted as a pro-Trump elector in Georgia. He also helped organize the fake slate of electors in the Peach State, which Trump lost by nearly 12,000 votes.
The letter was first reported by Yahoo News, which also reported other Georgia officials received similar target letters.
Georgia has remained a central focus for investigators at state and federal levels. The Atlanta-area investigation was prompted after Trump’s infamous phone call pressuring Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find” the votes needed to swing the state to him was revealed. The Justice Department is also investigating the fake electors scheme and a grand jury in Washington issued subpoenas in March related to the fake electors and other matters.
Shafer, who had been cooperating with prosecutors, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Shafer told the House select committee investigating the January 6 riot in February that the fake electors scheme came at the direction of the Trump campaign after then-President Trump lost the state’s vote.
CNN previously reported that Rudy Giuliani led the Trump campaign officials in spearheading the illegitimate electors as a part of the broader plot to overturn President Joe Biden’s victory when Congress counted the electoral votes on January 6.
Friday’s letter indicates a shift from the Georgia prosecutors, as they previously reassured Shafer and other fake electors for Trump that they were considered witnesses, rather than subjects or targets, in the investigation — a notable distinction that suggests the Atlanta-area district attorney did not view their actions as criminal at the time, two sources told CNN.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ office appeared to be trying to determine whether the pro-Trump electors in Georgia had any knowledge that their actions may have been a component of a broader and potentially illegal plot to pressure election officials and overturn Joe Biden’s victory, a source previously told CNN.
This story has been updated with additional details.
CNN’s Jason Morris and Shawna Mizelle contributed to this report.
Source: https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/15/politics/georgia-gop-chair-election-probe-indictment-da/index.html
