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Georgia prosecutor probes alleged Trump efforts to influence election

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said in a letter sent on Wednesday that she has opened a criminal investigation into “attempts to influence” the outcome of last year's general election.

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In this file image, former president Donald Trump speaks with reporters as he walks to Air Force One upon departure, January 12, 2021, at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, US.

Prosecutors in Fulton County, Georgia, have investigated Donald Trump's attempts to overturn the Southern state's 2020 presidential election results, according to a letter seen by Reuters, in the second criminal probe faced by the former president.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has sent a letter asking state government officials to preserve documents, including those related to then-President Trump's call to Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger pressuring him to "find" more votes.

Here is a copy of letters asking Gov. Brian Kemp, Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, Attorney General Chris Carr and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to preserve documents in relation to a criminal investigation into Trump/others seeking to "influence" election. #gapol pic.twitter.com/K76pJAer4z
— stephen fowler (@stphnfwlr) February 10, 2021

'Evidence of attempts'

"This matter is of high priority, and I am confident that as fellow law enforcement officers sworn to uphold the Constitutions of the United States and Georgia, our acquisition of information and evidence of potential crimes via interviews, documents, videos, and electronic records will be cooperative," said the letter dated February 10.

"This letter is notification that all records potentially related to the administration of the 2020 General Election must be preserved, with particular care being given to set aside and preserve those that may be evidence of attempts to influence the actions of persons who were administering that election."

Representatives for the county prosecutor's office and for Trump did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

On Monday, Raffensperger's office opened its own probe into Trump's January 2 phone call pressuring him to overturn Democrat Joe Biden's November 3 victory in the state based on unfounded voter fraud claims, saying any further legal efforts would be up to the state's attorney general.

New York prosecutors have also opened criminal and civil investigations into Trump over his businesses.