About
On Jan. 2, 2021, President Trump and several of his key aides called and spoke by phone with Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) for over an hour, pressuring him to “find 11,780 votes” so that the president could declare victory over Biden in Georgia.
Throughout the call, Raffensperger and his colleague Ryan Germany insisted that all election procedures in Georgia had gone smoothly and that the results were accurate and reliable. In spite of this, Trump and his allies pushed the secretary of state to overturn the outcome—in other words, to break the law by reporting false figures.
Trump threatened Raffensperger, telling him that he could face a criminal investigation if he failed to comply with the president’s demands. “You know what they did and you’re not reporting it,” said Trump. “That’s a criminal, that’s a criminal offense.”
Trump subsequently tweeted about the call, saying that Raffensperger “was unwilling, or unable, to answer questions” about alleged election fraud.
In February 2021, the Fulton County district attorney opened a criminal inquiry into Trump’s attempts to subvert the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. Legal experts say that the former president may be at “substantial risk” of prosecution for violating a number of statutes, including the state’s racketeering law.
In 2022, a special grand jury in Fulton County heard testimony from 75 witnesses and produced a final report, including recommendations about who should be indicted and on what charges. While that report remains confidential, District Attorney Fani Willis is expected to announce her decision in May 2023 on which charges to pursue and against whom.
Participants in the Jan. 2, 2021 call:
Ryan Germany (SOS office)
Jordan Fuchs (SOS office) [Fuchs recorded the call]
Kurt Hilbert (attorney for Trump)
Alex Kaufman (attorney for Trump)