ATLANTA — He and his advisers may face criminal charges. His lawyers may lose their licenses. His allies who spread stolen-election lies face billion-dollar defamation lawsuits.
Two years after he tried to overturn his loss in the 2020 election, former President Donald Trump and others face a reckoning that his critics hope will deter a repeat of the events that led to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Trump and his advisers sought to overturn Democrat Joe Biden’s victory in Georgia and other states. Their scheme played out in courtrooms, state legislatures and, finally, on Capitol Hill. Those efforts failed, but they undermined confidence in U.S. elections and temporarily disrupted the peaceful transfer of power.
Here’s a look at the status of various efforts to hold Trump and others in Georgia and elsewhere accountable for their actions.
Criminal investigations
Trump faces criminal investigations in Georgia and Washington.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis initially set out to investigate the January 2021 phone call in which Trump asked Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find 11,780 votes” to help him defeat Biden. Willis’ targets now include Trump’s slate of fake presidential electors — among them Georgia GOP Chairman David Shafer and state Rep.-elect Shawn Still.
Willis also has targeted attorneys Rudy Giuliani and Jacki Pick, who tried to convince Georgia lawmakers they could decide the presidential election after the fact. Others could face charges.
Notably, a Fulton Superior Court judge blocked Willis and her office from investigating another previous target, Lt. Gov.-elect Burt Jones, due to a conflict of interest. The Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia now has the authority to decide whether Jones, who served as a fake elector, should be investigated or charged with a crime.
The special grand jury Willis convened is expected to release its findings soon.
Less is known about the U.S. Justice Department’s investigation of Trump’s scheme. But it also has focused on the fake electors. The DOJ recently subpoenaed the Georgia secretary of state’s office, seeking communications with Trump, his campaign, employees or attorneys. Cobb County received a similar subpoena.
Meanwhile, congressional investigators have referred possible criminal charges against Trump and others to the DOJ. Though it carries no legal weight, the congressional report provides a road map prosecutors could use to pursue charges.
Lawyers’ licenses in jeopardy
Dozens of lawyers across the country aided Trump’s effort to overturn the election. Some filed lawsuits that were quickly dismissed. Others devised far-fetched legal theories about how Vice President Mike Pence could overturn Biden’s victory.
Judges have already referred some attorneys — including Lin Wood and Sidney Powell — for possible disbarment. Giuliani’s licenses in New York and Washington also are in jeopardy.
Meanwhile, a bipartisan watchdog group has filed more than 60 complaints asking bar associations in numerous states to discipline attorneys who played roles in Trump’s scheme. In Georgia, the state bar is investigating two Republican lawyers — Brad Carver and Daryl R. Moody — who served as fake Trump electors. Those investigations are pending.
Defamation lawsuits
Trump’s campaign to overturn the election was premised on false claims of massive voting fraud in Georgia and other states. State and federal investigators found no evidence to support the claims.
That didn’t stop various Trump allies and news outlets from repeating them. Now many of them face defamation lawsuits filed by companies and individuals who say the election lies caused financial and other damages.
Two voting system firms — Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic — have filed at least 14 lawsuits against media companies such as Fox News and individuals such as Giuliani and Powell. The lawsuits, which are pending, stem from false accusations the companies manipulated results to ensure Biden’s victory.
Two Fulton County election workers — Ruby Freeman and Wandrea “Shaye” Moss — also filed a defamation lawsuit against Giuliani and One America News Network. The lawsuit said they had endured death threats and harassment because of false claims they committed election fraud. The news network has already settled, and a judge recently rejected Giuliani’s request to dismiss the lawsuit.
Finally, a Gwinnett County man who was falsely accused of voting fraud in the film “2000 Mules” has sued the filmmakers alleging defamation, saying he has endured threats of violence. The film claimed Mark Andrews delivered multiple fraudulent ballots to a drop box during the 2020 election. An investigation by the secretary of state’s office found Andrews was delivering votes for family members, which is legal.
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(Atlanta Journal-Constitution staff writer Tamar Hallerman contributed to this article.)
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