Georgia prosecutors launch criminal probe into Trump's efforts to overturn election

Prosecutors in Georgia have launched an investigation into Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the state's 2020 election results, including a phone call with the state's top elections official in which the former president asked to "find" enough votes to declare he won Georgia.

Driving the news: The Fulton County District Attorney's office on Wednesday sent letters to a number of state officials — including Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who was on the other end of the call — asking them to preserve any documents related to Trump's efforts, DA spokesperson Jeff DiSantis confirmed.

• The letters indicated the office is conducting a criminal investigation.

Details: "This investigation includes, but is not limited to, potential violations of Georgia law prohibiting the solicitation of election fraud, the making of false statements to state and local governmental bodies, conspiracy, racketeering, violation of oath of office and any involvement in violence or threats related to the election's administration," the letters read.

• The letters state the DA's office will seek subpoenas when the grand jury next convenes in March.
• Other recipients of the letters include Gov. Brian Kemp, Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan and Attorney General Chris Carr.

The big picture: The investigation makes Georgia the second state in which Trump faces a criminal inquiry. The former president's finances are under scrutiny by the Manhattan district attorney.

• The newest probe comes in a jurisdiction that overwhelmingly voted for President Biden, meaning "potential jurors are unlikely to be hospitable to the former president," writes the New York Times, which first reported on the opening of the investigation.