Investigators in Georgia have reportedly unearthed evidence connecting former President Donald Trump’s legal representatives to a 2021 voting system violation in Coffee County, a predominantly Republican region. This discovery comes from a CNN report detailing text messages and emails that have emerged in the Atlanta-focused probe into efforts to reverse the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia.
Fulton County’s District Attorney, Fani Willis, is potentially seeking numerous indictments later this month. Her sights are set on a comprehensive, multi-state investigation encompassing conspiracy and racketeering allegations. Some of those associated with the Coffee County infringement might also find themselves implicated in this wider criminal probe.
This newfound evidence challenges the previously held belief that local Trump supporters in Coffee County were primarily responsible for the breach. Instead, these findings point to Trump’s close associates as the main perpetrators.
The aim behind examining Coffee County’s voting software was to substantiate the former president’s unfounded assertions that he was the legitimate winner in Georgia. Despite Trump’s insistence, Joe Biden secured Georgia by a margin of almost 12,000 votes.
Post the 2020 elections, Trump applied pressure on Georgia’s officials, notably Gov. Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, to negate the results. This culminated in a notable phone conversation in January 2021, where Trump urged Raffensperger to locate the requisite votes to secure the state.
While the phone call with Raffensperger and attempts to form an alternate group of presidential electors have been central to Willis’s inquiry, the Coffee County breach has gained significant traction in the Fulton County investigation over the past year.
Information obtained showcases Trump’s lawyers showing interest in Coffee County prior to January 6, 2021, as they frantically sought evidence of widespread voter fraud, which Trump blamed for his loss in Georgia.
Last year, a former Trump associate informed the House January 6 select committee about discussions regarding the inspection of Georgia’s voting software in a White House meeting in December 2020, with Trump in attendance.
CNN reports indicate that days before Trump’s supporters accessed Coffee County’s voting systems, a local election official, believed to have assisted in the breach, extended a written invite to Trump’s lawyers. This official was identified as Misty Hampton.
Further, investigators are examining the involvement of Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell in this breach. Texts refer to Giuliani, previously Trump’s personal attorney and a prominent figure in propelling Trump’s unsubstantiated election fraud claims, as “the Mayor”.
A text from January 1, 2021, revealed by CNN news: “Back in DC with the Mayor. Big developments underway! We’ve just received written permission to inspect Coffee County’s systems. Exciting times!”