Trump’s prison nightmare: Giuliani now talking to DOJ about Jan 6 for first timeFormer Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani meets with Special Counsel Jack Smith as the Jan. 6 probe heats up. It marks the “latest indication that Mr. Smith and his team are actively seeking witnesses who might cooperate in the case," according to The New York Times. Former Watergate prosecutor Nick Akerman tells MSNBC Chief Legal Correspondent Ari Melber the development is “the big kill."
https://www.msnbc.com/the-beat-with-ari/watch/trump-s-prison-nightmare-giuliani-now-talking-to-doj-about-jan-6-for-first-time-185650245826Fake Trump Electors Strike Deal to Testify in DOJ’s Jan. 6 Probe: ReportSpecial Counsel Jack Smith has offered immunity deals to two witnesses in the investigation into 2020 election meddling
SPECIAL COUNSEL JACK Smith may have already charged Donald Trump for hoarding classified material, but the Mar-a-Lago probe is not the only Justice Department investigation into the former president. According to CNN, Smith has traded partial immunity for the testimony of two fake electors in the probe into the effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
The individuals reportedly testified before a Washington, D.C., grand jury empaneled by Smith to investigate Trump’s efforts to override his election loss and his role in the events of Jan. 6.
In the aftermath of the 2020 election, Trump and his allies allegedly engaged in a scheme to provide an “alternate” set of pro-Trump Electoral College electors for states where Biden had secured a narrow victory. These states included Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, Wisconsin, Georgia, and Pennsylvania.
According to sources who spoke to CNN, Smith and his prosecutors have in recent weeks sought to compel the testimony of various, yet unidentified individuals involved in the plans, and have interviewed at least half a dozen witnesses in the past few days.
Smith’s office has also honed in on various key Trump allies in recent weeks, including his former attorneys Sidney Powell and Rudy Giuliani, as well as Jefferey Clark. Clark, a Trump DOJ appointee, pressured the department to falsely inform the Georgia legislature that they had uncovered “significant fraud” in the state and encourage them to put forth an alternate slate of electors.
It’s unclear if Trump will be indicted in the probe, but if he is it would be the second time Smith brings criminal charges against the former president. Earlier this month, Trump was arrested and arraigned on 37 federal charges related to his post-presidency hoarding of classified documents. The charges against Trump include conspiracy to obstruct justice, corruptly concealing a record or document, and concealing a document in a federal investigation.
Trump may also face charges from Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who is widely expected to reveal an indictment in her own investigation into election interference in Georgia sometime this August
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/jack-smith-trump-fake-electors-immunity-testimony-1234777165/Georgia secretary of state to interview with Special Counsel Jack Smith as part of Jan. 6 probe
Special Counsel Jack Smith is expected to interview Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger this week as part of his investigation into the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.
Smith, who charged former President Donald Trump on 37 federal felony charges as part of his probe into the former president's alleged improper retention of classified records, was also tasked with taking over the Justice Department’s Jan. 6 investigation. Trump pleaded not guilty.
Smith, specifically, is investigating whether Trump or other officials and entities interfered with the peaceful transfer of power following the 2020 presidential election, including the certification of the Electoral College vote on Jan. 6, 2021.
Smith had subpoenaed Raffensperger for documents related to the case, but Wednesday will be the first time the Georgia secretary of state appears for an interview with the special counsel.
Raffensperger, back in 2021, took part in a phone call with then-President Trump, who allegedly urged the secretary of state to "find" enough votes to reverse the state’s election results.
During the call, according to audio recordings, Trump said: "All I want to do is this. I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have. Because we won the state."
Georgia certified election results showed that Joe Biden won the state in the 2020 presidential race by 11,779 votes.
A spokesperson for Raffensperger told Fox News that the secretary of state will not comment on the call as part of the interview with the special counsel’s team.
Raffensperger’s interview with Smith comes as prosecutors in Fulton County are looking to wrap up their criminal investigation into Trump's alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election in the state.
A special grand jury in Fulton County, Georgia, released portions of a report detailing findings from the investigation earlier this year, which indicated a majority of the grand jury believes one or more witnesses may have committed perjury in their testimony and recommends that prosecutors pursue indictments against them, if the district attorney finds the evidence compelling.
The special grand jury spent about seven months hearing testimony from witnesses, including high-profile Trump allies, such as attorney Rudy Giuliani and Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, and high-ranking Georgia officials, including Raffensperger and Gov. Brian Kemp.
Meanwhile, Smith charged Trump earlier this month as part of the classified records probe. Trump pleaded not guilty to 37 counts. The charges include willful retention of national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice and false statements.
This is the first time in United States history that a former president has faced federal criminal charges.
AFP
