Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis asked the FBI on Sunday to conduct a risk assessment of the county courthouse and government center in Atlanta following "alarming" comments by former President Trump during a rally Saturday.
Why it matters: Willis is conducting an investigation into Trump's efforts to interfere with the outcome of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.
- This month, Willis was granted a special grand jury to aid her investigation. The special grand jury will be able to issue subpoenas to witnesses and gather additional evidence.
Driving the news: During a rally in Conroe, Texas, on Saturday, Trump floated the idea of possibly pardoning people who have been charged and sentenced over their participation in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
- In a letter to J.C. Hacker, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Atlanta field office, Willis noted that during his speech, Trump also denounced multiple criminal investigations against him, including hers, and claimed she was involved in "prosecutorial misconduct at the highest level."
The big picture: Willis wrote in the letter that while her office has already been dealing with security concerns during their investigation, Trump's "alarming" rhetoric this weekend "escalated" these worries.
- "I am asking that you immediately conduct a risk assessment of the Fulton County Courthouse and Government Center, and that you provide protective resources to include intelligence and federal agents," Willis wrote.
- Willis added that it was "imperative that these resources are in place well in advance" of the convening of the special grand jury in May.
- “We must work together to keep the public safe and ensure that we do not have a tragedy in Atlanta similar to what happened at the United States Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021,” she concluded.
