Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis requested security assistance from the FBI Sunday for her 2020 election investigation that involves former President Donald Trump.
In a letter to the FBI, she said that Trump’s comments at a Texas rally Saturday, in which he called for protests if prosecutors do “anything wrong or illegal,” escalated security concerns for her office. Willis, a Democrat, is requesting a risk assessment, protective resources, and federal agents.
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“Security concerns were escalated this weekend by the rhetoric of former President Trump at a public event,” she said. “We must work together to keep the public safe and ensure that we do not have a tragedy in Atlanta similar to what happened at the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021.”
Willis said she has an obligation to ensure the safety of those working on her investigation. She also added that her office has already taken safety precautions and has collaborated with local officials.
“My staff and I will not be influenced or intimidated by anyone as this investigation moves forward,” Willis said in her letter.
During his rally in Texas, Trump told supporters he hoped there would be protests in New York, Washington D.C., and Atlanta if prosecutors did anything improper. Some media pundits interpreted that as a threat against prosecutors if they bring criminal charges against him.
Atlanta is located in Fulton County, where Willis is investigating him. Trump is also reportedly under investigation by prosecutors in New York for his business practices. In Washington, D.C., the House Select Committee on Jan. 6 is investigating some of his allies. The Jan. 6 Committee has not subpoenaed Trump, but he remains a key figure in its investigation.
Trump calls for protests in DC, NYC, Atlanta, and other cities if he’s prosecuted for crimes pic.twitter.com/71YWJk1fr1
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 30, 2022
Last week, Willis got court approval for a special grand jury to assist in her investigation. It will begin its work on May 2. Earlier this month, Willis told the Associated Press she anticipates her office will make some decisions in the case during the first half of the year.
Willis confirmed in her letter to the FBI that she is conducting a criminal investigation of Trump over whether he improperly attempted to influence the 2020 election in Georgia. She initiated her investigation last February shortly after the Washington Post released audio of a call between Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. Trump asked Raffensperger to “find” 11,780 votes — the exact number of votes he would need to overturn his election loss to President Joe Biden in Georgia.
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Trump has subsequently argued in a statement the phone call he had with Raffensperger was “perfect” — even better than the phone call he had with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that led to his first impeachment. Trump said he was merely looking into “large-scale voter fraud” in Georgia and that Willis should investigate that instead of his “perfect phone call.”
In addition to investigating Trump’s actions in Georgia following the 2020 election, Willis also confirmed to the Associated Press that her office is investigating a call between Sen. Lindsey Graham and Raffensperger, false claims about the election Rudy Giuliani made to the Georgia Senate, and the resignation of the U.S. attorney in Atlanta on Jan. 4, 2021.
