Opinion: Will Trump Face a Legal Reckoning in Georgia?

[brooklynite]

The New York Times

We understand that after the Mueller investigation and two impeachments, the prospect of Mr. Trump actually facing accountability may be viewed with skepticism. Most recently, he seems to have avoided charges by the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg.

But Ms. Willis, a Democrat, has a demonstrated record of courage and of conviction. She has taken on — and convicted — a politically powerful group, Atlanta’s teachers, as the lead prosecutor in the city’s teacher cheating scandal.

And she is playing with a strong hand in this investigation. The evidentiary record of Mr. Trump’s postelection efforts in Georgia is compelling. It is highlighted by a recording of Mr. Trump’s Jan. 2, 2021, call with Mr. Raffensperger, in which Mr. Trump exhorted Mr. Raffensperger to “find” those votes.

The tape also contains threats against the secretary and his staff that had an element of coercion, like Mr. Trump’s warning that failing to identify (nonexistent) fraud would be “a big risk” to Mr. Raffensperger and to his lawyer. The recording is backed by voluminous evidence that Mr. Trump likely knew full well he had lost, including acknowledgment from administration officials like his attorney general, William P. Barr, and an internal Trump campaign memo admitting that many fraud claims were unfounded. As a federal judge noted in finding that Mr. Trump’s efforts to overturn the election were likely criminal, the former president “likely knew the justification was baseless and therefore that the entire plan was unlawful.”

What’s more, Georgia criminal law is some of the most favorable in the country for getting at Mr. Trump’s alleged misconduct. For example, there is a Georgia law on the books expressly forbidding just what Mr. Trump apparently did in Ms. Willis’s jurisdiction: solicitation of election fraud. Under this statute, a person commits criminal solicitation of election fraud when he or she intentionally “solicits, requests, commands, importunes or otherwise attempts to cause” another person to engage in election fraud.

[uponit7771]

1. K&R, matters if he is allowed to ignore GJ subpoenas like he has congressional subpoenas

[Hoyt]

2. Think it is best shot to get trump. It was blatant and taped, although not sure threats were much

more than implied.

I am concerned whether the Fulton County (essentially Atlanta) DA will -- or can -- put all the resources needed into convicting trump. It's just getting started, but they are already having to block off roads near the court house. The city is facing serious crime issues, there is a new Atlanta Mayor, etc.

While Fulton County went 73% for Biden in 2021, the state was a lot closer. Every year the few blue meccas in the state and the rube red areas wrangle over money, who should run the Airport (a BFD), whether state should take over law enforcement from Atlanta, education, etc.

But maybe the evidence here is so simple that it actually gets trump to court. How long it will take to wind through is anyone's guess, but it'll be awhile. Will be interesting, that's for sure.

[SoonerPride]

3. I could save the NYT the column inches and answer that with a simple one word reply

No.

[867-5309.]

4. Nope

Next question.