In the ongoing investigation into former President Donald Trump’s attempts to reverse his electoral loss in Georgia, recent revelations by prosecutors suggest a connection between Trump’s associates and a breach of the 2021 voting system.
Multiple reports indicate that text messages and emails directly link Trump’s allies to this breach, implying that it was orchestrated from the top echelons of Trump’s campaign in his endeavor to overturn the 2020 election. These findings counter the notion that the breach was initiated by local supporters without affiliation to high-ranking officials.
For instance, a text message dated January 1, 2021, obtained by CNN upon Trump’s return to Washington, D.C., alludes to former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s previous personal attorney, in a manner indicating significant developments in their plan.
The message reads, “Just landed back in DC with the Mayor huge things starting to come together!” This communication hints at progress in their efforts, underscored by the receipt of a written invitation to access Coffee County’s systems.
The invitation was purportedly extended by Misty Hampton, a former Coffee County elections official. It is noteworthy, however, that Hampton made unproven claims suggesting the county’s voting machines could manipulate ballots in favor of another candidate, a fact reported by the Guardian.
Katherine Friess, an attorney affiliated with Trump’s inner circle, further disseminated this invitation, sending it to members of Sullivan Strickler, a firm enlisted by Trump’s team to uncover evidence of voter fraud in Georgia. This interconnected network of individuals, which included Giuliani, highlights the concerted effort to support Trump’s baseless allegations of election fraud.
As Trump and his team frantically attempted to substantiate their claims, Coffee County was identified as a specific target in draft executive orders presented to Trump in mid-December. These orders aimed to seize voting machines, as reported by CNN.
Cathay Latham, another local election official, seemingly facilitated unauthorized access to the voting systems for Trump allies. Latham, one of Georgia’s “fake electors” in a previous attempt by Trump to overturn the 2020 election, was captured in surveillance footage assisting data experts from Sullivan Strickler within the Coffee County election office. These experts proceeded to create copies of the election systems, according to the Guardian’s account.
In response to these developments, Giuliani’s attorney, Robert Costello, adamantly denied any involvement on Giuliani’s part, stating to CNN, “Rudy Giuliani had nothing to do with this.”
Trump, already facing three indictments, including a federal indictment related to his endeavors to manipulate the 2020 election results, may soon face a fourth indictment. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is scheduled to present her case before a Georgia grand jury investigating the former president in the upcoming week.
The focus of the Georgia case revolves around Trump’s specific actions aimed at overturning his loss in the state during the 2020 election. A significant aspect of this investigation is a phone call Trump made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, during which he seemingly issued a veiled threat, suggesting a criminal charge and the need to “find 11,780” votes.