- Net worth
- Unknown
- Crimes
- fake electors, obstruction, other
- Convicted of
- Preemptive pardon for potential federal charges related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election; indicted in Georgia for racketeering as fake elector
- Original sentence
- N/A (preemptive pardon; no federal conviction)
- Time served
- N/A
Background
David Shafer is a former chairman of the Georgia Republican Party who was one of 16 Georgia fake electors who participated in the scheme to overturn the 2020 election results.
The Case
Shafer was never federally charged or convicted, but he received a preemptive federal pardon from President Trump in November 2025 as part of a batch of 77 pardons for allies involved in efforts to overturn the 2020 election. The pardon was described as "full, complete, and unconditional" but was largely symbolic since presidential pardons apply only to federal crimes and Shafer had no federal convictions.
Shafer was one of 16 Georgia fake electors who signed a document falsely declaring themselves the rightful electors despite Joe Biden winning Georgia in 2020. He was indicted in August 2023 along with Trump and 18 other co-defendants in Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis's election interference case for racketeering related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia. He was pardoned twice over in the proclamation—once as an alternate elector and again as a Fulton County defendant. The federal pardon has no legal impact on his state charges, as Trump can only pardon federal crimes. Georgia state racketeering charges remain pending.
The Pardon
On November 9, 2025, President Trump granted Shafer a full pardon along with 76 other allies tied to efforts to overturn the 2020 election. The pardon was issued preemptively, before any federal charges were filed. The proclamation covered conduct "relating to the advice, creation, organization, execution, submission, support, voting, activities, participation in, or advocacy for or of any slate or proposed slate of Presidential electors" in connection with the 2020 election.