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Pro-Trump pastor arrested for confronting Georgia election workers 'surprised' he was indicted: report

Brandon GageAugust 17, 2023

One of the lesser-known individuals indicted along with former President Donald Trump by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Wllis under Georgia's Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act on Monday, August 14th is Pastor Stephen Lee, a Lutheran Chicago, Illinois chaplain who became ensnared in Trump's alleged scheme to steal Georgia's sixteen Electoral College votes after Trump lost the 2020 election to President Joe Biden. On Thursday, Lee's attorney David Shestokas spoke with The Daily Beast's Justin Rohrich about his client's legal predicament.

Lee, Rohrich recalls, "is accused of trying to pressure a temporary election worker, Ruby Freeman, to confess to a slew of bogus assertions by Trump, Rudy Giuliani, and other MAGA-world luminaries, that Freeman and her daughter, who are Black, surreptitiously introduced suitcases stuffed with thousands of fake ballots into the counting process to help Joe Biden. Trump referenced Freeman over and over during his infamous Jan. 2, 2021 phone call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a fellow Republican, in which he exhorted Raffensperger to 'find' enough local votes to undo Biden’s win. Freeman was 'a professional vote scammer and hustler,' Trump lied, calling the 60-something Freeman a 'known political operative.'"

Lee, Rohrich notes, is "facing additional counts on top of the RICO charge, including conspiracy to solicit false statements and writings, criminal attempt to influence witnesses, and influencing witnesses."

POLL: Should Trump be allowed to hold office again?

Prior to his involvement with Trump's failed putsch, New York Magazine Intelligencer's Matt Stieb wrote on Wednesday, Lee "had dedicated much of his life to helping people in crisis, traveling the country to minister to Americans who lived through hurricanes, mass shootings, and terrorist attacks. But by showing up at Freeman's house that morning, he stumbled into a wide-ranging conspiracy that threatens the former president of the United States with an unpardonable racketeering charge. Deep into the 98-page indictment of Trump in Georgia, Lee was named as one of 18 co-conspirators, charged with attempting to influence witnesses and conspiring to solicit false statements and writings. Prosecutors described his action as 'an act of racketeering activity … in furtherance of the conspiracy' to overturn the election. (A representative for Lee did not respond for requests for comment and he has yet to answer the charges in court)."

Shestokas told Rohrich in an exclusive interview that Lee is "nervous. Anybody charged with a crime that serious—a five-year mandatory minimum, and a possible 20-year maximum—is not going to sleep easy at night, regardless of whatever comfort and counseling I'm able to offer. But even under those circumstances, I certainly have no guarantees for him."

Yet "despite Lee having been the subject of intense media focus related to Trump's coup attempt, and knowing that Georgia authorities had him under a microscope," Rohrich continues, the charges "still took" Lee and Shestokas "by surprise."

Shestokas revealed to Rohrich that "neither the reverend nor I were ever contacted by anyone from Fulton County" and that "we were quite surprised by the reverend's indictment since Fulton County had not even been able to make a case in an Illinois court that Rev. Lee was a material witness. With that in mind, we were quite astounded to learn of his indictment as a defendant."

READ MORE: 'Dubious claims of voter fraud': Trump lawyers are reportedly urging him to cancel press conference

Nonetheless, Shestokas confirmed to Rohrich that Lee "was indeed at Freeman's house" because he presumed that his "unusual background… might be of some service to this woman that was under siege."

Stestokas conceded, however, that Lee's mindset "sounds really wild unless you see the backstory."

Stestokas insisted that "the stuff that the rest of the world [sees] on the surface, if all they see is he knocked on the door, they think that he's involved in election interference. OK. But if you look at his history, it's one of service, one of unification, if you want. That's what's in his mind."

Shestokas added that "if you consider Reverend Lee's history of traveling to unusual settings, and offering this combination of law enforcement and pastoral experience to assist people that are under stress, it's not out of character," insisting that "it may not be something you do, or I do—I wouldn't—but I don't have the same history that he has… You know, so many of the big stories that are headlines around the country in the last 30 years, he's been there. He's kind of the Forrest Gump of crises in America. He's always been there in some way, shape, or form."

READ MORE: 'Smarten up': Michael Cohen urges 'Rudy Colludy' and Roger Stone to stop 'appeasing' Donald Trump

View Rorhrich's complete analysis at this link (subscription required). Stieb's article is here.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hzCs2_yU6us359G9thgv0kSQ_FtQNG_l/view

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On or about the 3rd day of January 2021, STEPHEN CLIFFGARD LEE, HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD, and TREVIAN C. KUTTI placed multiple

telephone calls and sent text messages

to each other and to other individuals involved in the

conspiracy. They include the following:

l. At 7:48 p.m., HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD placed telephone

call to Ruby Freeman, Fulton County, Georgia, election worker, that was unsuccessful.

2. At 7:49 p.m., HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD placed telephone

call to Ruby Freeman that was unsuccessful.

3. At 7:49 p.m., HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD placed telephone

call to TREVIAN C. KUTTI.

4. At 7:53 p.m., HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD sent text message to Ruby Freeman.

5. At 8:03 p.m., TREVIAN C. KUTTI placed telephone call to HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD.

6. At 8:11 p.m., HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD placed telephone

call to unindicted co-conspirator

Individual 23,who'se identity is known to the Grand

Jury.

7. At 8:18 p.m., HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD placed telephone

call to STEPHEN CLIFFGARD LEE.

8. At 8:48 p.m., HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD placed telephone

call to TREVIAN C. KUTTI.

9. At 9:16 p.m., HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD placed telephone

call to TREVIAN C. KUTTI.

10. At 9:33 p.m., HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD placed telephone

call to TREVIAN C. KUTTI.

11. At 9:50 p.m., HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD placed telephone

call to STEPHEN CLIFFGARD LEE.

These were overt acts in furtherance of the conspiracy.

ALILQ-

On or about the 4th day of January 2021, TREVIAN C. KUTTI, having been recruited by HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD, traveled from Chicago, Illinois, to Atlanta, Georgia, and caused certain individual, Whose identity is known to the Grand Jury, to pick her up fiom train station in Fulton County, Georgia, for the purpose of attempting to contact Ruby

Freeman, Fulton County, Georgia, election worker. This was an overt act in furtherance ofthe

conspiracy.

Act 117.

On or about the 4th day of January 2021, TREVIAN C. KUTTI traveled to Ruby

Freeman's home in Cobb County, Georgia, and attempted to contact her but was unsuccessful. TREVIAN C. KUTTI spoke with Freeman's neighbor and falsely stated that she was crisis manager attempting to "help" Freeman before leaving Freeman's home. This was an overt act in

furtherance of the conspiracy.

Act 118.

On or about the 4th day of January 2021, TREVIAN C. KUTTI, while in Fulton County, Georgia, placed telephone call to Ruby Freeman and stated that Freeman was in

danger. TREVIAN C. KUTTI stated that she could "help" Freeman and requested that Freeman meet with and speak to her that night at Cobb County Police Department precinct

in Cobb County, Georgia. This was an overt act in furtherance of the conspiracy.

Act112

On or about the 4th day ofJanuary 2021, TREVIAN C. KUTTI traveled to Cobb County Police Department precinct

in Cobb County, Georgia, and met with and spoke to Ruby

Freeman for approximately one hour. HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD joined

the meeting by telephone. TREVIAN C. KUTTI and HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT

FLOYD stated to Freeman that she needed protection

Act 120.

On or about the 4th day of January 2021 STEPHEN CLIFFGARD LEE, HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD, and TREVIAN C. KUTTI committed the

felony offense of SOLICITATION OF FALSE STATEMENTS AND WRITINGS,

in Violation of O.C.G.A. §§ 16-4-7 16-10-20,

in Cobb County, Georgia, by soliciting, requesting, and importuning Ruby Freeman, Fulton County, Georgia, election worker, to engage in

conduct constituting the felony offense of False Statements and Writings, O.C.G.A. 16-10-20, by knowingly and willfully making false statement and representation concerning events at State Farm Arena in the November 3, 2020, presidential election in Georgia, said statement and

representation being within the jurisdiction of the Office of the Georgia Secretary of State and

the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, departments and agencies of state government, and county and city law enforcement agencies, with intent that said person engage in said conduct. This was an act of racketeering activity under O.C.G.A. l614-3(5)(A)(xxii) and an overt act in

furtherance of the conspiracy.

Act 121.

On or about the 4th day ofJanuary 2021 STEPHEN CLIFFGARD LEE, HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD, and TREVIAN C. KUTTI committed the

felony offense ofINFLUENCING WITNESSES,

in violation of O.C.G.A. 16-10- 93(b)(1)(A),

in Fulton County, Georgia, by knowingly and unlawfully engaging in misleading

conduct toward Ruby Freeman, Fulton County, Georgia, election worker, by stating that she needed protection and by purporting to offer her help, with intent to influence her testimony in an official proceeding

in Fulton County, Georgia, concerning events at State Farm Arena in

55

Act 122.

On or about the 4th day of January 2021, STEPHEN CLIFFGARD LEE, HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD, and TREVIAN C. KUTTI placed multiple

telephone calls and sent text messages

to each other and to other individuals involved in the conspiracy. They include the following:

l. At 9:41 a.m., STEPHEN CLIFFGARD LEE placed telephone call to HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD.

At 11:24 a.m., HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD placed telephone call

to DAVID JAMES SHAFER.

At 12:25 p.m., STEPHEN CLIFFGARD LEE placed telephone call to HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD.

At 12:32 p.m., STEPHEN CLIFFGARD LEE sent text message to HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD.

At 8:10 p.m., HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD placed telephone call to DAVID JAMES SHAFER.

At 10:00 p.m., HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD placed telephone call

to STEPHEN CLIFFGARD LEE.

At 10:19 p.m., HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD placed telephone call

to TREVIAN C. KUTTI.

At 10:43 p.m., TREVIAN C. KUTTI placed telephone call to HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD.

At 11:10 p.m., TREVIAN C. KUTTI placed telephone call to HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD.

10. At 12:12 a.m. on January 5, 2021', TREVIAN C.

55

Act 122.

On or about the 4th day of January 2021, STEPHEN CLIFFGARD LEE,HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD, and TREVIAN C. KUTTI placed multiple

telephone calls and sent text messages

to each other and to other individuals involved in the conspiracy. They include the following:

l. At 9:41 a.m., STEPHEN CLIFFGARD LEE placed telephone call to HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD.

At 11:24 a.m., HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD placed telephone call

to DAVID JAMES SHAFER.

At 12:25 p.m., STEPHEN CLIFFGARD LEE placed telephone call to HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD.

At 12:32 p.m., STEPHEN CLIFFGARD LEE sent text message to HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD.

At 8:10 p.m., HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD placed telephone call to DAVID JAMES SHAFER.

At 10:00 p.m., HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD placed telephone call

to STEPHEN CLIFFGARD LEE.

At 10:19 p.m., HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD placed telephone call

to TREVIAN C. KUTTI.

At 10:43 p.m., TREVIAN C. KUTTI placed telephone call to HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD.

At 11:10 p.m., TREVIAN C. KUTTI placed telephone call to HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD.

10. At 12:12 a.m. on January 5, 2021', TREVIAN C.

55

Act 122.

On or about the 4th day of January 2021, STEPHEN CLIFFGARD LEE, HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD, and TREVIAN C. KUTTI placed multiple

telephone calls and sent text messages

to each other and to other individuals involved in the

conspiracy. They include the following:

l. At 9:41 a.m., STEPHEN CLIFFGARD LEE placed telephone call to HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD.

At 11:24 a.m., HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD placed telephone call

to DAVID JAMES SHAFER.

At 12:25 p.m., STEPHEN CLIFFGARD LEE placed telephone call to HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD.

At 12:32 p.m., STEPHEN CLIFFGARD LEE sent text message to HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD.

At 8:10 p.m., HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD placed telephone call to DAVID JAMES SHAFER.

At 10:00 p.m., HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD placed telephone call

to STEPHEN CLIFFGARD LEE.

At 10:19 p.m., HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD placed telephone call

to TREVIAN C. KUTTI.

At 10:43 p.m., TREVIAN C. KUTTI placed telephone call to HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD.

At 11:10 p.m., TREVIAN C. KUTTI placed telephone call to HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD.

10. At 12:12 a.m. on January 5, 2021', TREVIAN C.

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Illinois pastor prevails in subpoena fight with Fulton DA’s office

Prosecutors to submit additional evidence to compel witness’ testimony

Special grand jury wants to hear more about pressure campaign to overturn 2020 election

Caption

Politics

By Tamar Hallerman

Nov 11, 2022

Clarification: This story has been updated to reflect the fact that on Sept. 6, a certificate of material witness was issued from the Fulton County special grand jury seeking the testimony of former Black Voices for Trump Director Harrison Floyd. Such certificates, when approved by a judge in a witness’ home state, essentially function as an equivalent to a subpoena. Floyd objected to the AJC’s characterization of the grand jury’s action as a “subpoena” in a previous version of the article.

An Illinois pastor became the second known witness to win his subpoena battle to avoid testifying before the Fulton County special grand jury probing whether President Donald Trump and his allies criminally interfered in Georgia’s 2020 elections.

A police chaplain who currently leads a suburban Chicago Lutheran church, Rev. Stephen Cliffgard Lee is one of the more obscure witnesses who have been called to testify before the Fulton grand jury. He was allegedly at the center of the effort to pressure Fulton County poll worker Ruby Freeman to falsely admit to committing election fraud in late 2020 and early 2021, according to court filings.

Kendall County Judge Robert Pilmer on Wednesday denied the Lee’s summons, technically known as a certificate of material witness. He said the Fulton County District Attorney’s office, which is advising the grand jury, did not provide enough evidence to prove Lee was a “necessary” and “material” witness to the investigation and thus compel him to travel to Atlanta.

“The court finds that Stephen Cliffgard Lee is not a material witness based on the facts in the judge’s certificate,” Pilmer wrote in his order, referring to the certificate of material witness signed by Fulton Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney on Oct. 7.

Pilmer’s order gives Fulton authorities 30 days to file an amended certificate or provide additional information.

“If they can provide more details to the judge, he will consider it,” said Kendall County State’s Attorney Eric Weis, whose office represented the Fulton DA’s in the proceedings.

A spokesman for the Fulton DA’s office said prosecutors will refile a petition with additional evidence. McBurney, who oversees the grand jury investigation, would need to greenlight the document before it could be sent back to Kendall County, where Lee lives.

David Shestokas, Lee’s attorney,said the certificate McBurney signed is faulty because it heavily relies on representations made by the DA’s office.

“The representations of a lawyer in a courtroom are not evidence. They are argument,” he said. “Evidence is sworn testimony, affidavits executed under penalty of perjury… McBurney didn’t send us a shred of evidence.”

Shestokas added, “if Georgia wants (Lee) to do something, they have to properly comply with the law. What they sent here to Illinois was insufficient.”

icon to expand image

Freeman and her daughter, Shaye Moss, became targets of vitriol and death threats for their work counting ballots at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena on election night. Then-President Donald Trump, his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani and others seized on surveillance footage that they said showed the women pulling out hidden ballots for Democrat Joe Biden from “suitcases.”

Federal and state authorities looked into the matter and quickly determined that Freeman and Moss did nothing wrong. The alleged suitcases were in actuality official ballot carriers holding legitimately-cast votes.

But that didn’t stop the harassment.

Trevian Kutti, a former publicist for Kanye West, knocked on Freeman’s door on Jan. 4, 2021, claiming to be a crisis manager sent by a “high-profile individual” and told Freeman to confess to committing election fraud or risk being arrested.

A certificate of material witness was issued for Kutti’s testimony by the grand jury. A certificate of material witness was also issued for former Black Voices for Trump Director Harrison Floyd, who also spoke with Freeman.

Lee spoke with Kutti that day and the following day, according to his certificate of material witness, and he allegedly asked Floyd to arrange the meeting with Freeman.

Police body cam footage also shows that Lee had personally visited Freeman’s Cobb County home several weeks earlier, on Dec. 15, 2020, which prompted Freeman to call the police several times. In the footage, Lee acknowledged he had knocked on Freeman’s door and offered to provide “pro bono service” to her, left and then returned.

Lee, Fulton prosecutors said, “possesses unique knowledge concerning communications between himself and other known and unknown individuals involved in the multi-state, coordinated efforts to influence the results of the November 2020 election in Georgia and elsewhere.” The DA’s office said Lee’s testimony was also “essential” because it was likely to reveal additional sources of information for the investigation.

The efforts to pressure Freeman have become a major interest of the investigation. Prosecutors have also focused on phone calls Trump and his allies placed to Georgia officials; tumult in the Atlanta U.S. attorney’s office; testimony Giuliani and other Trump allies gave to state legislators; the appointment of a slate of phony GOP electors; and the breach of elections data in Coffee County.

Most of the out-of-state witnesses who have fought their subpoenas have been forced to comply by judges. That includes top officials like U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows.

The only publicly known witness who was able to defeat her subpoena is Jacki Pick. The Dallas lawyer and podcast host won on a technicality: her testimony date had already passed and a judge ruled that she subsequently didn’t need to go to Atlanta. But, more significantly, Pick also convinced a majority of judges on the Court of Criminal Appeals that the Fulton special grand jury was “civil” and not “criminal” in nature because it can’t issue subpoenas, thus making its summons unenforceable under interstate subpoena rules.

Several other witnesses, including Gingrich and Meadows, have made similar arguments in court, though judges in their home states of Virginia and South Carolina rejected them. At least one other Texas witness has subsequently ignored their testimony date in Atlanta, presumptively because of the Pick ruling.

Staff writer Bill Rankin contributed to this article.

About the Author

Tamar Hallerman

Follow Tamar Hallerman on twitter

Tamar Hallerman is an award-winning senior reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She covers the Fulton County investigation into whether former President Donald Trump or his allies criminally interfered in Georgia's 2020 elections.

https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2023/08/15/here-are-19-people-named-sweeping-indictments-against-donald-trump/

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Here are the 19 people named in the sweeping indictment against Donald Trump

Here is a list of who is named in Fani Willis’ sweeping indictment of the nation’s 45th president and his allies.

By Tim Darnell, Atlanta News First staff and The Associated Press

Published: Aug. 14, 2023

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Fulton County DA Fani Willis’ sweeping indictment from her investigation into alleged attempts by former President Donald Trump to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election includes some of the most prominent figures in the Republican Party.

It comes just two weeks after the Justice Department special counsel charged him in a vast conspiracy to overturn the election, underscoring how prosecutors after lengthy investigations that followed the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol have now, two-and-a-half years later, taken steps to hold Trump to account for an assault on the underpinnings of American democracy.

Though the indictment is centered on Trump’s efforts to subvert election results in just one state, its sprawling web of defendants stands apart from the more tightly-targeted case brought by special counsel Jack Smith, which so far only names Trump as a defendant. The Georgia case also stands out because, unlike the two federal prosecutions he faces, Trump would not have the opportunity to try to pardon himself if elected president.

FULL COVERAGE: Timeline, history and key players of historic indictment in Georgia

“Trump and the other Defendants charged in this Indictment refused to accept that Trump lost, and they knowingly and willfully joined conspiracy to unlawfully change the outcome of the election in favor of Trump,” says the indictment issued Monday night by the office of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.

The indictment charges Trump with making false statements and writings for a series of claims he made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and other state election officials on Jan. 2, 2021, including that up to 300,000 ballots “were dropped mysteriously into the rolls” in the 2020 election, that more than 4,500 people voted who weren’t on registration lists and that a Fulton County election worker, Ruby Freeman, was a “professional vote scammer.”

Here are the 19 people named in the indictment:

• DONALD TRUMP: Then-President Donald Trump fixated on Georgia after the 2020 general election, refusing to accept his narrow loss in the state and making unfounded assertions of widespread election fraud there. He also called top state officials, including Gov. Brian Kemp, to urge them to find a way to reverse his loss in the state. In a Jan. 2, 2021, phone call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, Trump suggested the state’s top elections official could help “find” the votes needed for him to win the state. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis opened an investigation into possible illegal attempts to influence the election shortly after a recording of that call was made public.

• RUDY GIULIANI: During several legislative hearings at the Georgia Capitol in December 2020, the former New York mayor and Trump attorney promoted unsupported allegations of widespread election fraud in Georgia. Prosecutors have said Rudy Giuliani was also involved a plan to have 16 Georgia Republicans serve as fake electors, falsely swearing that Trump had won the 2020 presidential election and declaring themselves the state’s “duly elected and qualified” electors.

• JOHN EASTMAN: A former dean of Chapman University law school in Southern California, John Eastman, one of Trump’s lawyers, was deeply involved in some of his efforts to remain in power after the 2020 election. He wrote a memo arguing that Trump could remain in power if then-Vice President Mike Pence overturned the results of the election during a joint session of Congress where electoral votes would be counted. That plan included putting in place a slate of “alternate” electors in seven battleground states, including Georgia, who would falsely certify that Trump had won their states.

• MARK MEADOWS: Trump’s chief of staff visited Cobb County, in the Atlanta suburbs, while state investigators were conducting an audit of the signatures on absentee ballot envelopes in December 2020. Mark Meadows obtained the phone number of the chief investigator for the secretary of state’s office, Frances Watson, and passed it along to Trump, who called her. He also participated in the Jan. 2, 2021, phone call between Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.

• SIDNEY POWELL: A lawyer and staunch Trump ally, Sidney Powell was part of a group who met at the South Carolina home of conservative attorney Lin Wood in November 2020 “for the purpose of exploring options to influence the results of the November 2020 elections in Georgia and elsewhere,” prosecutors have said. Wood, who’s licensed in Georgia, said Powell asked him to help find Georgia residents to serve as plaintiffs in lawsuits contesting the state’s election results. Additionally, emails and documents obtained through subpoenas in an unrelated lawsuit have shown that Powell was involved in arranging for a computer forensics team to travel to rural Coffee County, about 200 miles southeast of Atlanta, to copy data and software from elections equipment there in January 2021.

• KENNETH CHESEBRO: Prosecutors have said Kenneth Chesebro, an attorney, worked with Georgia Republicans in the weeks after the November 2020 election at the direction of Trump’s campaign. Chesebro worked on the coordination and execution of a plan to have 16 Georgia Republicans sign a certificate declaring falsely that Trump won and declaring themselves the state’s “duly elected and qualified” electors.

• JEFFREY CLARK: A U.S. Justice Department official who championed Trump’s false claims of election fraud, Jeffrey Clark presented colleagues with a draft letter pushing Georgia officials to convene a special legislative session on the election results, according to testimony before the U.S. House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Clark wanted the letter sent, but Justice Department superiors refused.

• JENNA ELLIS: The lawyer appeared with Rudy Giuliani at a Dec. 3, 2020, hearing hosted by state Republican lawmakers at the Georgia Capitol during which false allegations of election fraud were made. Jenna Ellis also wrote at least two legal memos to Trump and his attorneys advising that Pence should “disregard certified electoral college votes from Georgia and other purportedly ‘contested’ states” when Congress met to certify the election results on Jan. 6, 2021, prosecutors have said.

• RAY SMITH: A Georgia-based lawyer, Ray Smith was involved in multiple lawsuits challenging the results of the 2020 election in Georgia. He also gathered witnesses to provide testimony before Georgia legislative subcommittee hearings held in December 2020 on alleged issues with the state’s election.

• ROBERT CHEELEY: A Georgia lawyer, Robert Cheeley presented video clips to legislators of election workers at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta and alleged the workers were counting votes twice or sometimes three times. He spoke to the lawmakers after Giuliani.

• MICHAEL ROMAN: A former White House aide who served as the director of Trump’s election day operations, Michael Roman was involved in efforts to put forth a set of fake electors after the 2020 election.

• DAVID SHAFER: The chairman of the Georgia GOP, Shafer was one of 16 state Republicans who met at the state Capitol on Dec. 14, 2020, to sign a certificate declaring falsely that Trump had won and also declaring themselves the state’s “duly elected and qualified” electors. He also joined Trump in a lawsuit challenging the certification of the 2020 election in Georgia.

• SHAWN STILL: He was one of 16 Georgia Republicans who signed a certificate falsely stating that Trump had won the state and declaring themselves the state’s “duly elected and qualified” electors. Shawn Still was the finance chairman for the state GOP in 2020 and served as a Georgia delegate to the Republican National Convention that year. He was elected to the Georgia state Senate in November 2022 and represents a district in Atlanta’s suburbs.

- STEPHEN CLIFFGARD LEE: Prosecutors say Stephen Cliffgard Lee, a pastor, worked with others to try to pressure Georgia election worker Ruby Freeman and her daughter after Trump and his allies falsely accused them of pulling fraudulent ballots from a suitcase during the vote count. Lee allegedly knocked on Freeman’s door, frightening her and causing her to call 911 three times, prosecutors said in a court filing last year.

- HARRISON WILLIAM PRESCOTT FLOYD: Also known as Willie Lewis Floyd III, he served as director of Black Voices for Trump, and is accused of recruiting Lee to arrange a meeting with Freeman and Chicago-based publicist Trevian Kutti.

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- TREVIAN C. KUTTI: Prosecutors allege publicist Trevian C. Kutti claimed to have high level law enforcement connections. They say Freeman met with Kutti at a police precinct, where she brought Floyd into the conversation on a speakerphone. Prosecutors say Kutti presented herself as someone who could help Freeman but then pressured her to falsely confess to election fraud.

• CATHY LATHAM: One of 16 Georgia Republicans who signed a certificate falsely stating that Trump had won the state and declaring themselves the state’s “duly elected and qualified” electors, Cathy Latham was also chair of the Coffee County Republican Party. She was at the county elections office for much of the day on Jan. 7, 2021, and welcomed a computer forensics team that arrived to copy software and data from the county’s election equipment in what the secretary of state’s office has said was “unauthorized access” to the machines.

• SCOTT GRAHAM HALL: An Atlanta-area bail bondsman, Scott Graham Hall was allegedly involved in commandeering voting information that was the property of Dominion Voting Systems from Coffee County, a small south Georgia jurisdiction. Also charged in the scheme were Powell, Latham and former county elections supervisor Misty Hampton.

• MISTY HAMPTON: She was the elections director in Coffee County. Misty Hampton was present in the county elections office on Jan. 7, 2021, when a computer forensics team copied software and data from the county’s election equipment. She also allowed two other men who had been active in efforts to question the 2020 election results to access the elections office later that month and to spend hours inside with the equipment.

==

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Also known as Willie Lewis Floyd III, he served as director of Black Voices for Trump, a group aimed at increasing the former president's support among Black voters.

In December 2021, according to prosecutors Floyd was asked to arrange a meeting to discuss an “immunity deal” with Ruby Freeman, a Fulton County election worker whom Trump and his allies falsely accused of pulling fraudulent ballots from a suitcase.

Willis said Floyd arranged for Trevian Kutti — whom Willis described as a “purported publicist” based in Chicago — to meet with Freeman. The prosecutor previously sought Kutti's testimony.

Kutti, who reportedly worked for Kanye West at one point, told Freeman that “an armed squad" of federal officers would approach her and her family within 48 hours and that Kutti had access to “very high-profile people that can make particular things happen in order to defend yourself and your family," according to Willis' court filing.

The district attorney cited video footage as evidence of those statements.

Kutti described Floyd as a “Black progressive crisis manager, very high level, with authoritative powers to get you protection that you need," Willis said.

During a subsequent phone call with Kutti and Floyd, Freeman was pressured to reveal information under threat of imprisonment, Willis said.

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How does Harrison Floyd fit into the indictment?

Floyd is charged with three counts of the indictment: Violation of the Georgia RICO Act, conspiracy to commit solicitation of false statements and writings; and influencing witnesses.

He appears in Act 89, Act 115, Act 116, Act 119, Act 120, Act 121, Act 122 and Act 127 of the 161 acts cited for Count 1, the overarching violation of RICO.

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He also specifically appears in Count 30 of the indictment, the conspiracy to commit solicitation of false statements and writings.

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According to the indictment, Floyd, Kutti and another indicted individual namedStephen Lee "unlawfully conspired to solicit, request and importune Ruby Freeman" on Jan. 4, 2021 "to engage in conduct constituting the felony offense of false statements and writings... by knowingly and willfully making false statement and representation concerning events at State Farm Arena in the November 3, 2020 presidential election in Georgia."

He is charged in Count 31 with influencing witnesses.

That charge alleges on Jan. 4, 2021 they "knowingly and unlawfully engaged in misleading conduct toward Ruby Freeman... by stating that she needed protection and by purporting to offer her help, with intent to influence her testimony in an official proceeding in Fulton County, Georgia, concerning events at State Farm Arena in the November 3, 2020 presidential election in Georgia."

no lnx us news

Prosecutor: Trump Ally Arranged Meeting With Poll Worker

A Georgia prosecutor says a poll worker was pressured and threatened with imprisonment during a meeting arranged with the help of an ally of the Trump campaign.

By Associated Press

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Sept. 2, 2022, .

U.S. News & World Report

Prosecutor: Trump Ally Arranged Meeting With Poll Worker

The Associated Press

FILE - Fulton County Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis is photographed in her office in Atlanta, on Jan. 4, 2022. Willis is investigating whether Trump and others illegally tried to influence the 2020 election in Georgia. As part of the probe, Willis filed court documents on Friday, Sept. 2, 2022, seeking testimony from Willie Lewis Floyd, a director of Black Voices for Trump, a group aimed at increasing the former president's support among Black voters. (AP Photo/Ben Gray, File) THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

By SUDHIN THANAWALA, Associated Press

ATLANTA (AP) — After the 2020 election, a Georgia poll worker who was falsely accused of voting fraud by former President Donald Trump was pressured and threatened with imprisonment during a meeting arranged with the help of an ally of the Trump campaign, a prosecutor said in a court filing Friday.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is investigating whether Trump and others illegally tried to influence the 2020 election in Georgia. As part of the probe, Willis filed court documents on Friday seeking testimony from Willie Lewis Floyd, a director of Black Voices for Trump, a group aimed at increasing the former president's support among Black voters.

In December 2021, Floyd was asked to arrange a meeting to discuss an “immunity deal” with Ruby Freeman, a Fulton County election worker whom Trump and his allies falsely accused of pulling fraudulent ballots from a suitcase, according to Willis.

Willis said Floyd arranged for Trevian Kutti — whom Willis described as a “purported publicist” based in Chicago — to meet with Freeman. The prosecutor has previously sought Kutti's testimony.

Kutti told Freeman that “an armed squad" of federal officers would approach her and her family within 48 hours and that Kutti had access to “very high-profile people that can make particular things happen in order to defend yourself and your family," according to Willis' court filing.

The district attorney cited video footage as evidence of those statements.

Kutti did not immediately respond to an email message seeking comment Friday. A message to Floyd's Instagram account was also not immediately returned.

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Freeman and Kutti met at the Cobb County Police Department, where Kutti told Freeman that “freedom and the freedom of one or more of your family members” would be disrupted if Freeman declined her assistance. Kutti said Freeman was “a loose end for a party that needs to tidy up,” according to Willis.

The meeting was captured in part by a body camera, Willis said.

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Kutti also said she wanted to connect Freeman to Floyd, whom she described as a “Black progressive crisis manager, very high level, with authoritative powers to get you protection that you need," Willis said.

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During a subsequent phone call with Kutti and Floyd, Freeman was pressured to reveal information under threat of imprisonment, Willis said.

Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, appeared in June before the House Jan. 6 committee and have told lawmakers how the lies about election fraud upended their lives. Moss was also a poll worker in Fulton County.

Willis has sought testimony from numerous witnesses with ties to Trump as part of her investigation, including former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham. Giuliani, who’s been told he’s a target of the investigation, testified before the special grand jury last month. A federal judge on Thursday ruled that constitutional protections don’t shield Graham from testifying.

Trump has blamed voter fraud for his 2020 loss to Democrat Joe Biden. State officials and federal investigators, including Trump’s own attorney general, have said there was no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 contest.

Associated Press writer Meg Kinnard in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report.