Justice Department Special Counsel Reaches Out to Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp Regarding 2020 Election Investigation
The Justice Department’s special counsel, Jack Smith, has reached out to Georgia Governor Brian Kemp in connection with the investigation into the 2020 election, as per a statement from a Kemp official to CNN. While confirming the contact, the governor’s office has declined to provide further details at this time.
Smith’s team reportedly made contact with Kemp’s office this week, according to a source familiar with the situation. The Washington Post was the first to report on the communication between Smith and Kemp.
Former President Donald Trump had pressured Kemp to overturn the election results in Georgia after narrowly losing to Democrat Joe Biden. However, Kemp refused to comply with Trump’s request, leading the former president to actively work against Kemp’s re-election efforts in the 2022 GOP gubernatorial primary. Despite Trump’s opposition, Kemp was successfully re-elected.
During a recent interview with CNN, Kemp addressed his interactions with Trump, explaining that he had followed the law and the Constitution, regardless of the former president’s displeasure.
In addition to contacting Kemp, Smith’s investigators have also reached out to former Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, whom Trump also pressured to overturn the election results in that state.
The focus of the federal investigation is on Trump’s efforts, along with those of his top lawyers, to organize fake electors and influence then-Vice President Mike Pence into blocking the certification of the election results in Congress.
Trump received a target letter from Smith’s investigation, indicating the possibility of charges against him. The letter cited three statutes that Trump could potentially face charges under, including those related to deprivation of rights, conspiracy to commit an offense against or defraud the United States, and tampering with a witness.
The Justice Department’s investigation has been exploring potential violations of the law related to conspiracy and obstruction of the congressional proceeding on January 6, which is connected to the witness tampering law.
In November, Kemp provided testimony as part of a separate investigation by Atlanta-based state prosecutors into Trump’s attempts to overturn the election in Georgia. Kemp appeared before a special grand jury in Fulton County for approximately three hours. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has indicated that charging decisions could be made in the coming weeks.
