Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis has granted immunity deals to eight of the 16 alternate electors who convened to declare Donald Trump the winner of the 2020 presidential election, guaranteeing that they will not be charged with crimes if they testify truthfully. This comes after a new court filing stated that one additional elector represented by a different attorney also had an immunity deal already in place.
These electors have been under investigation for their efforts to overturn the results of the presidential election. Seven out of these eight individuals gave interviews last month to prosecutors working on this case, which has been ongoing for two years and includes matters such as Trump's call on January 2, 2021.
However, defense attorney Kimberley Debrow claimed that District Attorney Willis made "false" allegations about some electors incriminating others during those interviews. In response, Debrow said transcripts and recordings submitted for confidential review showed no evidence supporting these claims.
Willis announced last month her intention to reveal charging decisions between July 11 and September 1. Meanwhile, former President Trump was indicted in New York by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg on charges related to falsifying business records and hiding hush money payments intended to suppress news about his extramarital sexual encounters ahead of the 2016 election.
The immunity deals involving half of Georgia's so-called fake electors emerged following communication from Fulton County District Attorney's office expressing willingness towards such arrangements. These agreements may potentially limit any conspiracy indictments against both Trump and involved electors due to lack of compelled incriminating information in return.
New questions arise concerning how prosecutors might handle cases against remaining fake electors who did not receive immunity deals such as local Republican party leader Cathy Latham.
The federal government is conducting multiple criminal investigations into former President Trump's actions including his attempts at overturning the 2020 election results and mishandling classified information. With immunity deals in place, law enforcement officials have been notified to prepare for possible indictments this summer.
As the investigation proceeds, it remains to be seen how these immunity agreements will affect potential charges against other key players involved in efforts to overturn the presidential election.