A Georgia judge is set to provide a first – albeit abbreviated – look Thursday at a grand jury’s examination of former President Donald Trump’s attempts to interfere in the 2020 election.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney ruled earlier this week that three sections of the panel’s report would be made public Thursday, including a passage expressing concerns that some witnesses may have lied under oath.
Yet much of the panel’s work, including specific charging recommendations and names of the witnesses suspected of lying, will remain under seal as Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis continues an inquiry launched two years ago.
Willis opened the investigation shortly after Trump’s extraordinary Jan. 2, 2021 conversation with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger went viral, later expanding the inquiry into a far-reaching criminal examination into election fraud.
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Where the inquiry stands:
- McBurney ordered the disclosure of three sections of the special grand jury’s report, the introduction, conclusion and the section referencing concerns over some of the witness’ testimony.
- Last month, Willis told McBurney that charging decisions were “imminent,” while arguing against the full public release of the grand jury’s report.
- Trumpattorney Rudy Giuliani, designated as a target in the inquiry, headlined a list of former aides and allies of the former president who were summoned to testify before the panel.
- The special investigative panel, which completed its work last month, provided a report of its work, as it is not authorized to issue indictments.
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Trump call to Raffensperger led to wider investigation
While the inquiry started with Trump’s call to Raffensperger, in which the former president urged Georgia’s top election official to “find 11,780 votes” to tilt the 2020 statewide election in his favor, Willis has said authorities have been investigating possible election fraud, conspiracy, oath of office violations, racketeering and election-related violence.
In addition to Guiliani, prosecutors have designated nearly two-dozen others, including a group of Republican electors who falsely certified that Trump had won the election, as potential targets.
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Witnesses include Trump allies Lindsey Graham, Michael Flynn and John Eastman
The list of grand jury witnesses included current and former public officials, many who have been part of Trump’s inner-circle.
Among them:
- Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who was summoned for questions about his contacts with Georgia election officials.
- Former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn, a vocal proponent of false claims of election fraud.
- Trump lawyer John Eastman, who helped develop Trump’s strategy to overturn Biden’s presidential election victory.
- Other prominent witnesses have included Raffensperger and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, both of whom resisted Trump’s pressure campaign to overturn Biden’s statewide victory.
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What could Fani Willis do?
Willis is not obligated to act on the grand jury’s recommendations. If she does elect to proceed, the prosecutor would likely present a case to one of the county’s two regular grand juries to seek indictments.
The district attorney had expected to make decisions on possible charges before the end of 2022, but a number of legal challenges pressed by key grand jury witnesses pushed late into the year.
A Brookings Institution analysis of the Willis investigation, co-authored by Norm Eisen, a special counsel to the House Judiciary Committee during Trump’s first impeachment, concluded that the inquiry represents perhaps the most serious threat to Trump.
“We conclude that Trump is at substantial risk of criminal prosecution in Fulton County (Georgia),” the report found.
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Story Credit: usatoday.com