A criminal probe into efforts by former President Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election in Georgia has been ongoing for over two and a half years.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis seated a special grand jury last year to make recommendations concerning criminal prosecutions. A new grand jury seated in July is soon expected to weigh possible election-related charges against Trump.
Former President Donald Trump speaks at the 56th annual Silver Elephant Gala in Columbia, S.C., Aug. 5, 2023.Artie Walker Jr./AP
Willis recently signaled that an indictment could be imminent. As the DA appears to be nearing the end of her investigation, here's a look at the key players in the Georgia election probe beyond Trump, who has denied any wrongdoing.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger speaks during a news conference in Atlanta, Dec. 14, 2020.John Bazemore/AP
Raffensperger certified the state's election results — and then recertified them after Trump's team requested a recount — confirming that President Joe Biden won the state. In a now-infamous phone call, Trump asked Raffensperger to "find" enough votes to win Georgia during an hourlong call on Jan. 2, 2021, which was obtained by ABC News. Raffensperger testified before the special grand jury last year.
MORE: Timeline: Criminal probe into Trump's efforts to overturn Georgia election results
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis poses for a portrait, April 19, 2023, in Atlanta.Brynn Anderson/AP
Willis launched the criminal probe in February 2021, a month after Trump's call to Raffensperger, according to a letter to state officials obtained by ABC News.
MORE: Who is Fani Willis? The Georgia district attorney who could soon indict Trump
"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 wrote in the letter.
Trump's legal team has unsuccessfully sought to remove her from the case and quash the special grand jury report.
Fulton County Judge Robert McBurney
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney instructs potential jurors during proceedings to seat a special purpose grand jury on, May 2, 2022, in Atlanta.Ben Gray/AP Photo
McBurney has been assigned to the DA's case. Among his decisions, he ordered in February that portions of the special grand jury's report be released, while the majority will remain sealed.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp delivers the State of the State address at the state Capitol, Jan. 25, 2023 in Atlanta.Alex Slitz/AP
Along with Raffensperger, Kemp certified the results of the election in Georgia. Willis notified Kemp in her February 2021 letter that her office had launched an investigation into efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election. He testified before the special grand jury last year.
MORE: DA probing efforts to overturn Georgia election results likely to present case to grand jury next week: Sources
Mark Meadows
Former Rep. Mark Meadows speaks during a forum on House and GOP Conference rules for the 118th Congress, at the FreedomWorks office in Washington, Nov. 14, 2022.Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Imag
Meadows, the White House chief of staff at the time, was heard speaking on the Raffensperger call. He was ordered by a judge last year to speak before the special grand jury.
Rudy Giuliani
Rudy Giuliani, an attorney for former U.S. President Donald Trump exits U.S. District Court after attending a hearing in a defamation suit related to the 2020 election results in Washington, U.S., May 19, 2023.Leah Millis/Reuters
Trump's one-time personal attorney was informed last year that he is considered a "target" of the Fulton County district attorney's probe, according to sources familiar with the matter.
He testified before the special grand jury last year.
John Eastman
John Eastman, former lawyer to Donald Trump, speaks to members of the media as he leaves the State Bar Court of California in Los Angeles, California, June 20, 2023.David Swanson/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Former Trump election lawyer John Eastman also testified before the special grand jury last year, during which he pleaded the Fifth, his attorneys said at the time. They advised him to "assert attorney client privilege and the constitutional right to remain silent where appropriate," they said in a statement.
16 'fake electors'
Sixteen "fake electors" who allegedly participated in a scheme to overturn the state's election results were notified that they were considered targets in the criminal investigation, prosecutors revealed in court documents last year.
McBurney disqualified Willis from investigating one of the 16 — Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones — because she held a fundraiser for his political opponent last year.
In May, eight of the "fake electors" accepted immunity in the probe, according to their lawyer.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
