Georgia prosecutor seeks testimony from police chaplain in election probe

[October 11, 2022]  By Linda So and Peter Eisler
 
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Georgia prosecutor investigating former President Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 U.S. presidential election is seeking testimony from a police chaplain featured in a Reuters investigation into efforts to pressure an election worker to falsely admit to voter fraud, court filings show.  

Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a rally ahead of the midterm elections, in Mesa, Arizona, U.S., October 9, 2022. REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File Photo

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis asked a judge on Friday to order Stephen Lee to appear before a special grand jury next month to answer questions about Trump's attempts to reverse his loss in Georgia, a battleground state that helped propel Democrat Joe Biden to the presidency.

Lee played a central role in a failed effort to pressure Georgia election worker Ruby Freeman to falsely admit to election fraud. Reuters reported the incident on Sept. 9 in an investigation that revealed Lee’s involvement and how he was under scrutiny by Willis.

In early December 2020, Trump and his campaign wrongly accused Freeman of committing election fraud while processing ballots at State Farm Arena on Election Day. State investigators quickly cleared her of wrongdoing. When Lee showed up uninvited at Freeman’s home in mid-December, she phoned 911 and refused to meet with him.

Lee then contacted Harrison Floyd, who had run outreach to Black voters for Trump’s 2020 campaign. Floyd arranged another visit to Freeman on Jan. 4, 2021, this time from Chicago publicist Trevian Kutti. At that meeting, Kutti discussed offering Freeman an immunity deal and threatened her with jail unless she provided information on election fraud, according to Freeman and Willis.

The filing by Willis said her office had obtained documents that show Lee spoke with Kutti and Floyd "multiple times via telephone" on Jan. 4 and Jan. 5, a day before Congress certified Biden’s win.

Lee, an Illinois resident, became a chaplain after a long career in law enforcement. Much of his work has focused on ministering to police, including first responders in New York City after the Sept. 11 attacks. He has publicly expressed support for Trump and said he had contact with Trump’s transition team in 2017.

Lee, Kutti and Floyd did not respond to requests for comment.

(Editing by Jason Szep and Aurora Ellis)

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