Recent developments have illuminated a significant and intricate web of connections linking former President Donald Trump’s legal team to the breach of voting machine technology at a local elections office in Coffee County, Georgia. The unfolding narrative, as pieced together by CNN’s investigative reporting, reveals a series of text messages and communications that directly implicate Trump’s allies in a concerted effort to gain access to the county’s voting systems, ostensibly in pursuit of evidence to substantiate baseless claims of widespread voter fraud during the 2020 election.
The saga begins with a “written invitation” shared by Katherine Friess, an attorney aligned with Trump allies such as Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell, to examine the voting systems in Coffee County. This invitation was extended to a group that included members of Sullivan Strickler, a firm hired by Trump’s legal team to investigate voting systems in the staunchly Republican county. The timeline of events shows that this invitation was sent on January 1, 2021, mere days before the breach of the voting systems on January 7.
Key figures in this unfolding narrative include Misty Hampton, a former Coffee County elections official, and Cathy Latham, another location elections official who also assumed the role of a fake elector from Georgia after the 2020 election. These individuals allegedly played pivotal roles in facilitating unauthorized access to the county’s voting systems, as evidenced by surveillance footage and documented communications.
The revelations also shed light on discussions and activities preceding the breach. Draft executive orders calling for the seizure of voting machines, including those in Coffee County, were presented to Trump on December 18, 2020. During a tumultuous Oval Office meeting, Giuliani hinted at a plan to gain “voluntary access” to voting machines in Georgia, further underscoring the intention to scrutinize election systems.
CNN’s reporting underscores the growing demands for evidence of widespread election fraud and the concerted efforts by Trump’s allies to validate unsubstantiated claims. The intricate network of communications and interactions, involving legal teams, political figures, and elections officials, points to a calculated strategy aimed at accessing and manipulating voting technology.
The implications of these revelations extend beyond the breach itself. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is reportedly preparing to indict Donald Trump over his alleged attempts to interfere with Georgia’s 2020 election results. This development would add to previous indictments against Trump, including charges related to falsifying business records, mishandling classified documents, and his broader efforts to overturn the 2020 election on a national scale.
On January 1, 2021 – days ahead of the January 7 voting systems breach – Katherine Friess – an attorney working with [Rudy] Giuliani, Sidney Powell and other Trump allies shared a “written invitation” to examine voting systems in Coffee County with a group of Trump allies.
That group included members of Sullivan Strickler, a firm hired by Trump’s attorneys to examine voting systems in the small, heavily Republican Georgia county, according to text messages obtained by CNN.
That same day, Friess sent a “Letter of invitation to Coffee County, Georgia” to former NYPD Police Commissioner Bernie Kerik, who was working with Giuliani to find evidence that would back up their baseless claims of potential widespread voter fraud, according to court documents filed as part of an ongoing civil case.
Friess then notified operatives who carried out the Coffee County breach and others working directly with Giuliani that Trump’s team had secured written permission, the texts show.
CNN has not reviewed the substance of the invitation letter itself, only communications that confirm it was provided to Friess, Kerik and Sullivan Strickler employees.
Text messages and other documents obtained by CNN show Trump allies were seeking access to Coffee County’s voting system by mid-December amid increasing demands for proof of widespread election fraud.
Coffee County was specifically cited in draft executive orders for seizing voting machines that were presented to Trump on December 18, 2020, during a chaotic Oval Office meeting, CNN has reported. During that same meeting, Giuliani alluded to a plan to gain “voluntary access” to machines in Georgia, according to testimony from him and others before the House January 6 committee.
Days later, Hampton shared the written invitation to access the county’s election office with a Trump lawyer, text messages obtained by CNN show. She and another location elections official, Cathy Latham, allegedly helped Trump operatives gain access to the county’s voting systems, according to documents, testimony and surveillance video produced as part of a long-running civil lawsuit focused on election security in Georgia.
Latham, who also served as a fake elector from Georgia after the 2020 election, has come under scrutiny for her role in the Coffee County breach after surveillance video showed she allowed unauthorized outsiders to spend hours examining voting systems there.
