Fulton County grand jury investigating Donald Trump, others back in action
What can grand jurors expect in election interference investigation
In about two hours, 23 grand jurors and three alternates were seated. At some point in the next year, the grand jury will provide a report recommending whether or not investigators should indict someone for attempting to interfere with the 2020 election in Georgia.
ATLANTA - A Fulton County special purpose grand jury investigating whether former President Donald Trump and others illegally tried to influence the 2020 election in Georgia is back in session today.
Twenty-three grand jurors and three alternates were chosen on May 2. Part of the session was shown live to the public. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney, who is overseeing the special grand jury, told grand jurors they will be investigating actions surrounding the 2020 general election.
The Fulton County special grand jury will examine whether anyone broke the law during the tumultuous days leading up to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capital.
Anyone, including former President Donald Trump.
On a recorded phone call following his election defeat, the then-President directly urged Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to throw out what Trump considered to be fraudulent votes which would give him the electoral victory.
"We are looking at the issues surrounding the 2020 election. That call is part of that investigation," Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis told the I-Team.
The grand jury is also expected to hear testimony regarding Rudy Giuliani's claims before the Georgia legislature of stolen votes - claims that have been debunked.
RAFFENSPERGER: TRUMP CALL TO ‘FIND’ VOTES IN GEORGIA WAS A THREAT
Another topic for review, Sen. Lindsey Graham's call to Raffensperger when Graham asked Raffensperger if he could throw out all the absentee ballots in a county that had a high number of mismatched signatures on mail-in votes.
Former President Donald Trump speaks during a Make America Great Again rally at Richard B. Russell Airport in Rome, Georgia on November 1, 2020. (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
A spokesperson for Graham called it "a ridiculous accusation." While acknowledging the call, he said Graham "never asked the Secretary of State to disqualify a ballot cast by anyone."
"The right to vote is very, very important. Making sure that that's not tainted or that it's not impacted in any way, it is a very serious thing," Willis said.
It's not clear what if any charges Willis could choose to pursue against Trump or anyone else. In a letter she sent to top-ranking state officials last year, she said she was looking into "potential violations of Georgia law prohibiting the solicitation of election fraud, the making of false statements to state and local government bodies, conspiracy, racketeering, violation of oath of office and any involvement in violence or threats related to the election's administration."
Grand jurors will have up to a year to complete their investigation.