Unique-Georgia probe into Trump examines chaplain’s function in election meddling By Reuters

By Linda So, Jason Szep and Peter Eisler

ATLANTA (Reuters) – Georgia election employee Ruby Freeman didn’t acknowledge the person who banged on her door. Terrified, she known as 911. She had cause to concern.

By the morning of Dec. 15, 2020, when she noticed the stranger’s crimson sedan parked in her driveway, she had obtained a whole bunch of threats from supporters of former U.S. President Donald Trump. Two weeks earlier, Trump’s marketing campaign had falsely accused Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, of pulling faux ballots from suitcases at Atlanta’s State Farm Area to rig the 2020 election for Democrat Joe Biden.

The person had already handed a message to Freeman via a neighbor: Freeman’s time was working out, he mentioned, and he may assist her and her daughter. When a police officer responded and questioned the person exterior Freeman’s house, he launched himself as Steve Lee, a police chaplain from Illinois.

Now Lee is below scrutiny in a legal investigation into alleged election interference by Trump and his allies in Georgia, in keeping with a supply with direct data of the probe.

Lee performed a central function in a failed effort to strain Freeman to confess to an election fraud that by no means occurred, in keeping with a Reuters examination of police physique digital camera footage and court docket paperwork, in addition to interviews with key contributors. After being rebuffed by Freeman, Lee contacted Harrison Floyd, who had run outreach to black voters for Trump’s 2020 marketing campaign. Floyd organized one other go to to Freeman on Jan. 4, 2021, this time from Chicago publicist Trevian Kutti, who threatened Freeman with jail except she offered data on election fraud, Reuters reported final December.

Lee’s identification has not been beforehand reported. The investigation by the Fulton County District Lawyer’s workplace is analyzing Lee’s coordination with Floyd and Kutti as Trump’s marketing campaign was desperately searching for proof of vote-rigging to justify overturning his election loss. On Jan. 6, two days after Kutti’s go to to Freeman, Congress licensed Biden’s victory, regardless of the lethal rebel on the U.S. Capitol that day by Trump supporters attempting to halt the proceedings.

Fulton County District Lawyer Fani Willis mentioned in a Sept. 2 court docket submitting that she was searching for testimony from Floyd, who detailed his involvement in pursuing Freeman in a prolonged interview with Reuters final December. The prosecutor’s submitting famous that Floyd advised Reuters he had organized Kutti’s assembly with Freeman on the request of an unidentified man, whom Floyd described as a chaplain with federal legislation enforcement connections.

Reuters recognized that chaplain as Lee via beforehand unreported police information and physique digital camera footage displaying police talking with Lee exterior Freeman’s house. Lee previously labored as a policeman in California and later served as a chaplain comforting officers and others after the Sept. 11 assaults in New York. A New York Metropolis Police Division spokesperson confirmed Lee’s work with its officers.

As Reuters reported on Dec. 10, Freeman advised police that Kutti tried to get her to falsely implicate herself in voting fraud. Shedding new mild on the incident, the district legal professional’s court docket submitting final week mentioned Kutti warned Freeman that “an armed squad” of federal officers would strategy her and her household inside 48 hours and that Kutti had entry to “very high-profile individuals that may make specific issues occur … with a view to defend your self and your loved ones.”

A supply with direct data of the Georgia investigation mentioned Lee, Kutti and Floyd are all “topics of curiosity” of the legal probe. Willis has beforehand sought testimony from Kutti.

No fees have been filed within the case. A spokesperson for Willis’ workplace didn’t reply to a request for remark.

Lee, in a short interview at his house in Montgomery, Illinois, didn’t dispute that he visited Freeman however declined to debate why or whether or not somebody had despatched him.

Floyd and Kutti didn’t reply to requests for remark. They’ve beforehand denied they tried to strain Freeman to falsely confess to election fraud, saying they had been attempting to assist her.

‘I’M NOT INTERESTED’

Freeman was so shaken by Lee’s makes an attempt to contact her that she known as 911 3 times on Dec. 15, 2020, the morning he parked in her driveway. Two Cobb County Law enforcement officials responded, one among whom interviewed Lee exterior her house. Lee mentioned he wished to talk with Freeman and produced his Illinois driver’s license, in keeping with beforehand unreported physique digital camera footage obtained via a public-records request.

“I am a pastor, and I am additionally working with some of us who’re attempting to assist Ruby out,” Lee advised the officer, with out figuring out the individuals. “And in addition get to some fact of what is going on on.”

He described himself as “prior legislation enforcement” and a “sergeant out in California.” He mentioned he had “some professional bono service for her if she’s .”

She wasn’t.

“I am not ,” she advised the officer in a separate interview captured on bodycam, saying she had carried out nothing fallacious. “I’ve a pastor.”

The identical man had proven up at her home the night time earlier than, Freeman reported. She wasn’t house. Lee spoke with a neighbor, and that’s when Lee handed the message saying he may assist Freeman. She advised police Lee had mentioned “he knew it was going to worsen. And he wished to assist me earlier than it received too late.”

Freeman, who describes herself as a religious Christian, mentioned she did not acknowledge the person and wished to report him for harassment. The officer replied that he would inform Lee she didn’t wish to converse with him.

The chaplain then turned to Floyd for assist. Within the December interview, Floyd didn’t establish the chaplain by identify however mentioned his go to was captured on police bodycam video, which Reuters reviewed. The clergyman “was despatched to speak to her,” Floyd added. He declined to say who despatched him, however mentioned the chaplain had been contacted by “connections that he had in legislation enforcement.” The chaplain reached out to Floyd as a result of he believed Freeman wouldn’t belief a white stranger, Floyd mentioned. Freeman and Floyd are each Black.

Floyd additionally mentioned individuals “concerned with the Trump marketing campaign” contacted him and mentioned they’d heard Freeman wished immunity.

Freeman has repeatedly mentioned she is harmless and due to this fact by no means sought any immunity deal. Prosecutors by no means thought of providing her immunity as a result of they’d no cause to imagine she was concerned in fraud, in keeping with a former Division of Justice official with direct data of the matter.

Nonetheless, Floyd mentioned he obtained calls from attorneys in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan who mentioned a confession from Freeman would assist their litigation efforts. On the time, Trump and his allies went to court docket in these states searching for to overturn his election loss.

Floyd and Lee joined a number of telephone calls with attorneys who had been “taken with providing immunity,” Floyd mentioned. He declined to establish the attorneys. Floyd mentioned he agreed to rearrange the assembly with Freeman after talking with Lee “a number of instances at size” and reviewing the chaplain’s legislation enforcement credentials.

Georgia election officers shortly debunked the baseless accusations in opposition to Freeman. The oft-repeated false claims began with the Trump marketing campaign telling Georgia lawmakers at a Dec. 3, 2020 listening to {that a} surveillance video of Freeman and her daughter dealing with ballots at State Farm Area amounted to stunning proof of fraud. In actual fact, state officers mentioned, the video confirmed regular poll processing.

‘GROUND ZERO’ CHAPLAIN

Lee had a protracted profession in legislation enforcement earlier than he beginning specializing in his ministry as a chaplain. He was a sergeant within the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Workplace, the place he labored from 1980 to 1987. In line with his on-line biography, he additionally served as a particular agent for the U.S. Navy’s law-enforcement arm, now often known as the Naval Prison Investigative Service. In 1996, he based Peace Officer Ministries Inc, a Christian group that serves officers and their households, and served as its government director till January 2010, in keeping with archived pages of the group’s web site.

From 2016 to 2018, Lee led a “Fast Response Workforce,” sponsored by an Illinois Lutheran church, that offered chaplaincy help to legislation enforcement in disaster conditions. On the group’s Twitter (NYSE:) account, he posted a discipline report in February 2017 that included {a photograph} of himself exterior Trump Tower. He mentioned he “briefed a Trump transition group advisor on a volunteer federal legislation enforcement chaplaincy proposal.” He mentioned Trump had “issued a clarion name to make America nice once more and drain the swamp,” urging help for “these noble targets.”

In February 2018, his response group scaled down operations due to a chance he had discovered “to work extra instantly with the federal authorities” in the course of the Trump administration, Lee wrote in a put up to the group’s supporters. Reuters couldn’t affirm what work, if any, Lee did for the Trump administration.

In an October 2021 speech https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1AUN1cZFhA, Lee endorsed James Marter, a pro-Trump Republican candidate for U.S. Congress from Illinois. In supporting Marter, who later misplaced the Republican main, Lee mentioned he had at all times prevented politics however felt compelled to get entangled as a result of “we’re going through the extinction of America.”

Billed by Marter’s marketing campaign because the “Floor Zero” chaplain, Lee advised the viewers he offered spiritual help to New York Metropolis police and different emergency responders for a few month after the Sept. 11 assaults.

On the time, Bernard Kerik was New York Metropolis police commissioner and Rudy Giuliani was mayor. Each had been deeply concerned on the Floor Zero website, the place the dual towers of the World Commerce Heart had been destroyed. And each males emerged after the 2020 election as outstanding figures pushing Trump’s baseless claims of voter fraud in Fulton County.

Giuliani didn’t reply to a request for remark, and Reuters couldn’t independently confirm whether or not he knew Lee or knew of his work after the Sept. 11 assaults.

Kerik mentioned he didn’t recall assembly Lee, both after the assaults or for the reason that 2020 election.

“By no means met him to my data,” he mentioned. “I do not recall a Lee associated to Georgia’s elections.”

At a December listening to with Georgia lawmakers, Giuliani falsely accused Freeman and Moss of “stealing votes” and interesting in “surreptitious criminality.” Final month, Willis’ workplace notified Giuliani that he was a goal of her investigation.

After the election, Giuliani headed a authorized group engaged on Trump’s behalf to overturn the election outcomes. Kerik labored because the group’s lead investigator, in keeping with his private web site. A “Strategic Communications Plan,” developed by the group to construct public help for Trump’s election challenges, known as for drawing public consideration to the baseless fees in opposition to Freeman and her daughter. Kerik later turned over the doc to the congressional committee probing the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot.

‘SAVE OUR REPUBLIC’

After talking with the chaplain, Floyd mentioned he enlisted the assistance of Kutti, a former publicist for hip-hop and R&B singers. Kutti had been in Georgia in 2020 to assist with Republican marketing campaign efforts, together with briefly managing the unsuccessful congressional marketing campaign of a Trump ally.

On Dec. 29, a couple of days earlier than assembly Freeman, Kutti urged Trump in a social media put up https://www.instagram.com/accounts/login/ to “unleash each army and Govt energy it’s a must to save our Republic.” She ended the put up with the hashtag #byanymeansnecessary.

The stakes had been excessive. An admission of fraud by Freeman, an election employee within the state’s greatest county, may have forged doubt over Trump’s loss in Georgia and given Trump ammunition to halt Congress from certifying Biden’s win on Jan. 6. If Freeman had dedicated fraud and wished immunity, Floyd advised Reuters, “that is actually essential to get to the suitable individuals earlier than an election is licensed.”

Trump himself singled out Freeman, by identify, 18 instances in a now-infamous name to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on Jan. 2, 2021, wherein he pressed Georgia officers to change the state’s outcomes based mostly on his bogus fraud claims. He falsely attacked the 62-year-old temp employee as a “skilled vote scammer,” a “hustler” and a “identified political operative” who “stuffed the poll bins.”

Floyd mentioned Kutti agreed to go to Freeman. On the night of Jan. 4, Kutti confirmed up at Freeman’s house with one other man, a Georgia consultant of the marketing campaign coalition Black Voices for Trump. Freeman has mentioned she didn’t know the guests supported Trump after they got here to her door. As Reuters beforehand reported https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-threats-georgia-exclusiv-idCAKBN2IP0VZ, Freeman was cautious however agreed to speak to Kutti on the police station.

Kutti tried to get Freeman to falsely implicate herself in voter fraud that night time, Freeman advised police. A Cobb County Police report recognized Kutti as an “alleged Trump supporter who tried to get Ms. Freeman to make false claims concerning the poll counting.” When the 2 met on the police station, Kutti advised Freeman: “You’re a unfastened finish for a celebration that should tidy up,” police physique digital camera footage reveals.

Kutti mentioned Floyd had “authoritative powers” to get Freeman “safety,” in keeping with the footage. She then dialed in Floyd, and the dialog continued for about an hour. At one level, Floyd requested Freeman whether or not she had dealt with “sincere ballots” on election night time. Throughout the dialogue, “Freeman was pressured to disclose data below the specter of incarceration if she didn’t comply,” Willis mentioned in her Sept. 2 court docket submitting.

Freeman mentioned in an interview that she was offended by Kutti’s supply of safety and rejected it.

Earlier than assembly with Freeman, Kutti advised a police officer that the election employee “was at risk and had 48 hours to talk along with her in order that she may get forward of the problem” and that “unknown topics had been going to be at” Freeman’s residence, in keeping with a police report.

On Jan. 5, the day after Kutti met with Freeman, a bunch of pro-Trump protesters descended on Freeman’s house in a quiet residential neighborhood, in keeping with a 911 name reporting the gathering and interviews with two neighbors.

5 – 6 autos carrying Trump supporters, some with indicators and flags, got here to Freeman’s home, saying they had been there as a result of they had been “upset with Ruby Freeman,” in keeping with a neighbor who reported the incident to Cobb County police. Neighbors mentioned they confronted the protestors, who agreed to maneuver down the road.

Freeman had left her house by the point of the afternoon protest. She fled after being warned of potential hazard by an agent from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and remained in hiding for 2 months afterwards, Freeman mentioned in an interview.

Willis’ court docket submitting mentioned Floyd is a “crucial and materials” witness to her investigation. “The witness possesses distinctive data” of Kutti’s conversations with Freeman, Willis wrote, and of the communications concerned in establishing the assembly – together with these with the Trump marketing campaign and others “concerned within the multi-state, coordinated efforts to affect the outcomes of the November 2020 election in Georgia.”

In December 2021, Reuters first reported https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-threats-georgia-exclusiv-idCAKBN2IP0VZ the main points of the ordeal Moss and Freeman endured after the 2020 election. The ladies described threats of lynching, racial slurs and alarming visits by strangers. Freeman had been a brief election employee in Fulton County; daughter Moss was full-time. Each in the end give up due to the threats.

In June, Freeman testified earlier than the congressional committee investigating the U.S. Capitol riot. She mentioned she remained rattled by the marketing campaign of intimidation.

“There may be nowhere I really feel secure,” she mentioned. “Nowhere.”