Lauren C. Moye, FISM News
The Georgia special grand jury investigating former President Donald Trump and others for alleged interference in the 2020 election has submitted a final report, leaving it up to Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to decide whether to press charges.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney disbanded the jury yesterday through a two-page court order, noting that the jury had delivered its final report.
“The Court thanks the grand jurors for their dedication, professionalism, and significant commitment of time and attention to this important matter. It was no small sacrifice to serve,” wrote McBurney.
The members of the jury were selected and sworn in on May 2, 2022. They have since collected months of testimony from Georgia officials, Trump associates, and even federal lawmakers.
The special grand jury was tasked with specifically investigating if Trump and Trump’s associates broke the law by interfering in Georgia’s 2020 election. The allegations stem from a phone call on Jan. 2, 2021 from Trump to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. During this call, Trump urged Raffensperger to “find” the votes needed for him to secure Georgia’s electoral votes.
“I just want to find 11,780 votes,” Trump said at the time. He has since denied all wrongdoing in the phone call.
Over the past several months, the special jury collected testimony from notable and high-ranking figures, including Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, Raffensperger, Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, and others.
Special grand juries in Georgia are investigative committees that are not allowed to issue indictments. Instead, they recommend actions in a final report. This means that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis will now decide if she wants to call a grand jury to possibly indict Trump and others for alleged wrongdoing.
One legal question remains for the special grand jury: will their report become public?
McBurney’s order notes that the jurors voted to recommend that the report be published. However, the judge was unclear if the jury’s recommendation alone was “presentment” enough to make it public. McBurney will hear arguments on Jan. 24 to settle the question.
Willis, a Democrat, and her office have not yet released a public statement in response to the final report.
However, AP News previously reported that Guiliani’s own legal team confirmed they had been warned of possible criminal charges resulting from the investigation.
A court filing has also indicated that the 16 Republican electors who signed a certificate stating Trump won the state could also be indicted.
The investigation has looked into a wide array of allegations, including phone calls from Trump and his associates made to Georgia officials, statements made before Georgia legislatures, and accusations that a Fulton County election worker was falsely defamed.
In addition to the Fulton County investigation, a special House committee formed to investigate events surrounding Jan. 6 voted to recommend insurrection and obstruction charges against Trump for allegedly summoning a mob to the Capital.