Georgia prosecutor says decision on Trump election interference case likely coming soon

A Georgia district attorney said in an interview published on Sunday that a decision would be made in the first half of this year on whether to bring charges against former President Trump for allegedly pressuring state officials to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

“I believe in 2022 a decision will be made in that case,” Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis told The Associated Press. “I certainly think that in the first half of the year that decisions will be made.”

Willis, a Democrat, said that she is leaning toward requesting that a special grand jury with subpoena power take part in the investigation.

In February, Willis launched an investigation to determine if any crimes were committed during a phone call between Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) in which the former president asked that Raffensperger “find” the necessary amount of votes to overturn Trump’s election defeat in Georgia.

When she announced the investigation, Willis said her agency was best suited to conduct the investigation because all other state agencies had conflicts of interest, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“This investigation includes, but is not limited to, potential violations of Georgia law prohibiting the solicitation of election fraud, the making of false statements to state and local governmental bodies, conspiracy, racketeering, violation of oath of office and any involvement in violence or threats related to the election’s administration,” Willis said in a letter to state leadership.

While declining to discuss the specifics of the case, Willis told the AP, “We’re going to just get the facts, get the law, be very methodical, very patient and, in some extent, unemotional about this quest for justice.”

The district attorney said she has put together a team of fewer than 10 people, including attorneys and investigators.

As the AP noted, Willis’s office is not the only entity investigating Trump’s attempts to overturn the results of the presidential election. Committees in both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House have also looked into allegations that Trump pressured officials into helping overturn the election.

“I just think the public should be patient – you know, go on, lead your lives – trust that they’ve elected a district attorney that knows that this is a serious issue, takes it seriously and we’re doing our job here,” Willis said.