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WASHINGTON – Georgia prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into former President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the state’s election results, NBC News confirmed on Wednesday.
Fulton County prosecutors’ investigation will look into a damning phone call Trump made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger while still president in which Trump begged him to “find” the votes for cancel the victory of President Joe Biden.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis on Wednesday sent a letter to state government officials, including Raffensperger, asking their offices to retain documents related to the appeal, according to an informed state official of the letter.
NBC News has verified the contents of the letter, which explicitly states that the request is part of a criminal investigation into several charges ranging from false statements to “any involvement in violence or threats related to the administration of the elections.”
A spokesperson for the Georgia Attorney General’s office, Chris Carr, confirmed receiving the letter and “are reviewing and synthesizing the letter.”
Georgia is now the second state, after New York, where Trump faces a criminal investigation.
Raffensperger’s office also opened a separate investigation into the phone call, NBC News reported earlier this week. The office confirmed that it opened the investigation after receiving a complaint about Trump’s conduct.
During the Jan. 2 phone call, Trump told Raffensperger: “All I want to do is this. I just want to get 11,780 votes, which is one more than us. Because we won the vote. ‘State.”
Georgia has reaffirmed Biden’s victory on several occasions after the November election.
Willis suggested they could launch an investigation in a statement last month in which he called the phone call “disturbing.”
“Anyone who commits a violation of Georgian law in my jurisdiction will be held responsible. Once the investigation is completed, this case, like all matters, will be dealt with by our office on the basis of the facts and the law,” said Willis at the time.
Willis and Raffensperger did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp also did not immediately return requests for comment.
The criminal investigation, first reported on Wednesday by The New York Times, comes as the Senate holds his impeachment trial against Trump for his role in the Jan.6 attack on Capitol Hill. Democratic House leaders pursuing the case against the former president will present their opening arguments on Wednesday, which will include “never seen before” video footage of the deadly riot on Capitol Hill.
Meanwhile, Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance investigated “potentially widespread and prolonged criminal conduct at the Trump Organization,” Trump’s family business, which may involve falsification of business records, fraud tax and insurance fraud. New York Attorney General Letitia James is also investigating four different Trump Organization real estate projects and the former president’s unsuccessful attempt to buy the Buffalo Bills from the NFL.
Charlie gile contributed.
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