Prosecutors launch criminal investigation into Trump's call to Georgia's secretary of state: report

On Wednesday, The New York Timesreported that prosecutors in Fulton County, Georgia have opened a criminal investigation into former President Donald Trump's phone call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger demanding that he "find" an extra 11,000 votes to flip the outcome of the state.

This is the second state, after New York, where the former president faces a criminal probe.

"On Wednesday, Fani Willis, the recently elected Democratic prosecutor in Fulton County, sent a letter to numerous officials in state government, including Mr. Raffensperger, requesting that they preserve documents related to Mr. Trump's call, according to a state official with knowledge of the letter," reported Richard Fausset and Danny Hakim. "The letter explicitly stated that the request was part of a criminal investigation, said the official, who insisted on anonymity to discuss internal matters."

"Former prosecutors said Mr. Trump's calls might run afoul of at least three state laws," said the report. "One is criminal solicitation to commit election fraud, which can be either a felony or a misdemeanor; as a felony, it is punishable by at least a year in prison. There is also a related conspiracy charge, which can be prosecuted either as a misdemeanor or a felony. A third law, a misdemeanor offense, bars 'intentional interference' with another person's 'performance of election duties.'"

This news comes after previous reporting that the secretary of state's office itself is conducting an investigation into the matter, although that is not currently a criminal matter.