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Processes are underway that could jeopardize the jobs of two elected officials in Georgia who are connected to former President Donald Trump’s racketeering indictment in Fulton County.
I’m talking about Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and state Sen. Shawn Still. The law is bearing down on the two Republicans like the Georgia sun in August, and they both could face removal from office.
The lieutenant governor reportedly has been identified as an unindicted co-conspirator involved in the “fake electors” scheme to falsely proclaim Trump as the winner of Georgia’s Electoral College votes in 2020. But last summer, the judge overseeing the case barred Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from targeting Jones because the prosecutor had hosted a fundraiser for someone who became Jones’ election opponent last November — an apparent conflict of interest.
The Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia, a state agency that supports district attorneys, said last week that it will name a special counsel to investigate Jones’ conduct and determine whether he should face criminal charges.
Ultimately, Jones may have a prosecutor more lenient than Willis investigating him, but there’s no guarantee he walks away unscathed. Jones, who previously has denied wrongdoing, issued a statement last week accusing Willis of pursuing the election interference investigation “for the sole purpose of furthering her own political career.”
Shawn Still, the state senator and one of Georgia’s fake electors, is already facing charges in the case, including forgery, false statements and impersonating a public officer. In a statement last week, an attorney for Still said: “The evidence at trial will show that Sen. Still is innocent as the day is long.”
On Thursday, a group of voting rights organizations sent a letter to Gov. Brian Kemp and Attorney General Chris Carr — both Republicans — asking that they initiate the process under the state constitution for determining whether Still’s indictment on felony charges warrants suspension from the Senate.
On Friday, Kemp’s office confirmed to NBC News that it had received a certified copy of the indictment for Still, marking the first step in the review process. The governor is required to wait 14 days upon receipt before appointing a panel that will ultimately rule on whether the senator should be suspended while under felony indictment.
If Still were to be suspended and then acquitted, he would be immediately reinstated. This constitutional process would also apply to Jones if he were to be indicted.
For their sake, I hope Still and Jones have any major plans coming up soon. There are major investigations hanging over their heads, and their schedules might get much busier very quickly.