Department of Justice subpoenas Georgia secretary of state, others

New Department of Justice Special Counsel Jack Smith on Monday subpoenaed Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger for all communications related to former President Donald Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign. Raffensperger is the Georgia official that Trump called on Jan. 2, 2021, as the former president sought to claim a win in the state. Late last month, Smith also subpoenaed Clark County, Nevada—the state’s most populous county—and similar subpoenas to counties in other states, including counties in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Arizona.

Who is Jack Smith and what is he doing as special counsel? U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Jack Smith last month to be the special counsel overseeing not only the Justice Department’s investigation into documents retrieved from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate but also its investigations into Trump’s attempts to retain the presidency after losing the 2020 election. Smith is also investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Garland appointed Smith so that an independent authority would be overlooking the department’s investigations into Trump, who is now a 2024 presidential candidate.

Dig deeper: Read Lynn Vincent’s report in WORLD Magazine about whether the Department of Justice’s search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate signals a new era in American politics.