JAKARTA - Georgia prosecutors on Thursday asked a special jury with subpoena power to assist in their investigation into alleged attempts by President Donald Trump to influence the outcome of the state's 2020 election.
In a letter to the Fulton County presiding judge, first reported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, District Attorney Fani Willis wrote that many of the witnesses being examined refused to cooperate, without a subpoena requiring their testimony.
"Therefore, I hereby request that a special purpose jury be paneled for the purpose of investigating facts and circumstances relating directly or indirectly, to the possible attempt to interfere with the lawful administration of the 2020 general election in the State of Georgia," Willis wrote, citing Reuters. January 21.
The probe by Willis, a Democrat, is the most serious investigation facing Donald Trump in Georgia after he was caught on a phone call pressuring Georgian Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to overturn the state's election results based on unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud.
In his letter, Willis said a special grand jury, which can call witnesses, was necessary because jurors could be paneled for longer periods of time and focus exclusively on one investigation.
A spokesman for the high court in Fulton County, which includes most of the state capital Atlanta, said there was no immediate deadline for responding to Willis' request.
Willis specifically noted that Raffensperger, whom he described as an "important witness", had indicated he would only take part in interviews after being given a subpoena.
It is known that during a January 2, 2021 phone call, Trump urged Raffensperger, a fellow Republican, to 'find' enough votes to overturn his loss in Georgia to Democrat Joe Biden.
The transcript quotes Trump telling Raffensperger: "I just want to get 11,780 votes," which is the number Trump would need to win Georgia.
Legal experts say Trump's phone calls may have violated at least three of the state's election laws: conspiracy to commit election fraud, criminal solicitation of election fraud, and willful interference with the performance of election duties. Possible crimes and misdemeanors are punishable by fines or imprisonment.
Meanwhile, in a statement Donald Trump defended what he called the "perfect" phone call and repeated false accusations of voter fraud in the 2020 election.
Separately, the US House of Representatives panel investigating the deadly January 6, 2021, attacks on the Capitol Building in Washington DC on Thursday requested an interview with the daughter and former White House aide Ivanka Trump.
And earlier this week, the New York state attorney general accused the Trump family business of repeatedly misrepresenting the value of its assets for financial gain, citing what he said was significant new evidence of possible fraud.
Critic Donad Trump hopes that the legal troubles ensnaring the top US businessman could eventually block a potential presidential run in 2024.
"It's getting started," Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island tweeted after news of Georgia's request.
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