Dec 12, 2022 - Politics & Policy

Georgia's Brad Raffensperger subpoenaed in DOJ's Trump investigation

Emma Hurt

Georgia Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has joined the ranks of election officials subpoenaed in the Department of Justice's special counsel's investigation of former President Trump.

Why it matters: Subpoenas had previously been sent to officials in Arizona, Wisconsin and Michigan — indicating the investigation has broadened past just Trump's role in the Jan. 6 attack.

Driving the news: Raffensperger received a subpoena broadly for communications with or involving Trump, his campaign or staff and relevant records or documents, Axios has confirmed.

The request also specifically asked for communications with more than a dozen individuals known to have been involved in Trump's efforts after the 2020 election, including lawyers Sidney Powell and Cleta Mitchell.

Context: Special Counsel Jack Smith was appointed last month to oversee the federal criminal investigations of Trump to avoid any perceived conflict of interest.

Flashback: Raffensperger received a now infamous call from Trump and some of his legal team in January 2021 in which the former president asked him to "find" the votes needed to flip President Biden's Georgia victory.

Meanwhile: Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis' own criminal investigation of Trump and his allies is ongoing. Witness testimony is expected to wrap up this month, and decisions about indictments are expected in the new year.

Go deeper... Trump's new nemesis

Add Axios on Google

Georgia's Brad Raffensperger subpoenaed in DOJ's Trump investigation

What to read next