Georgia prosecutors reportedly open criminal investigation into Trump call

Georgia prosecutors have reportedly opened a criminal investigation into former President Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the state's 2020 election results.

Fulton County prosecutors are investigating efforts by Trump to reverse President Biden's win in the state, including by calling Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and urging him to "find" votes, The New York Times reported on Wednesday. Democratic prosecutor Fani Willis has reportedly requested that numerous state government officials, including Raffensperger, preserve documents relevant to the case in a letter that "explicitly stated that the request was part of a criminal investigation," the Times writes.

Raffensperger's office previously opened a probe focused on Trump's attempts to overturn the state's election results, with a spokesperson saying it will be "fact-finding and administrative in nature." On the Jan. 2 phone call, Trump asked Raffensperger to "find" him 11,780 votes so he could win the state that he lost to Biden, saying, "There's nothing wrong with saying, you know, that you've recalculated" the vote tallies. Trump's efforts to reverse his loss also included calling Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) and urging him to convene a special legislative session to overturn the results, the Times notes.

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Willis previously described Trump's phone call with Raffensperger as "disturbing," reports Politico. She added, "As district attorney, I will enforce the law without fear or favor. Anyone who commits a felony violation of Georgia law in my jurisdiction will be held accountable."