Grand Jury in Georgia Concludes No Widespread Fraud in 2020 Election
On Thursday, a federal judge in Georgia released portions of a report compiled by a special grand jury investigating whether former President Donald Trump and his allies tampered in the state’s 2020 presidential election.[0] The material released didn’t include many details, but the grand jury did come to a consequential conclusion: no widespread fraud took place in the Georgia 2020 presidential election that could result in overturning the election.[1]
The partial release includes the report’s introduction, conclusion, and Section VIII, in which the grand jury expresses its concerns that some witnesses may have lied under oath during their testimony.[2] The grand jury recommended that the district attorney seek appropriate indictments for such crimes where the evidence is compelling.[3]
The purpose of the inquiry is to ascertain whether Donald Trump and his cohorts breached Georgia state law in their attempts to overturn the 2020 election.[4] Trump infamously called the Georgia secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, and requested that he “find 11,780 votes” to tilt the 2020 statewide election in his favor.[4]
The probe started with Trump's call to Brad Raffensperger and has since widened to include allegations a group of 16 Republicans plotted to send fake Georgia electors to falsely declare Trump the winner in a number of key states in 2020, as well as claims of intimidation of election workers.[2]
Willis has informed Rudy Giuliani that he is under investigation, as he played a major part in the dissemination of false information about the election in Georgia and other places.[5] Those who were involved in the failed effort in Georgia to submit falsified presidential electors to Congress are allegedly among the other intended targets.[5]
An inquiry into whether Donald Trump and his associates interfered in Fulton County's presidential election of 2020 has been launched by District Attorney Fani Willis.[1] In January of last year, Willis was allowed to empanel a specific grand jury with the authority to issue subpoenas to assist in the criminal investigation.[6] The grand jury has since subpoenaed a slew of Trump World figures, including Giuliani, Sen. Lindsey Graham, former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, and former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.[6] 75 witnesses were called to testify before the grand jury.[3]
Willis is under no compulsion to follow the grand jury's suggestions.[7] 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.[7] During a hearing last month on whether to publicly release the report, Willis said charging decisions were “imminent.[8]
0. “What to know about the release of parts of a Georgia grand jury report on Trump and the 2020 election” CNN, 16 Feb. 2023, https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/16/politics/georgia-trump-report-election-preview/index.html
1. “Georgia grand jury found evidence of perjury, not systemic fraud” MSNBC, 16 Feb. 2023, https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/georgia-grand-jury-found-evidence-perjury-not-systemic-fraud-rcna71026
2. “Donald Trump Indictment Looms as Georgia Bombshell Set to Drop” Newsweek, 15 Feb. 2023, https://www.newsweek.com/trump-georgia-grand-jury-report-indictment-1781410
3. “Judge releases part of Georgia grand jury report on alleged 2020 election tampering” POLITICO, 16 Feb. 2023, https://www.politico.com/news/2023/02/16/judge-grand-jury-report-alleged-election-tampering-00083233
4. “Witnesses in Trump investigation may have lied, says Georgia grand jury report” The Guardian US, 16 Feb. 2023, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/16/georgia-grand-jury-report-witnesses-trump-investigation-perjury
5. “What does the release of Georgia’s grand jury report mean for Trump?” The Guardian US, 16 Feb. 2023, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/17/trump-report-georgia-crimes-charges-grand-jury-investigation-explained
6. “Grand Jury Investigating Trump: ‘Perjury May Have Been Committed’” Rolling Stone, 16 Feb. 2023, https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/georgia-grand-jury-no-widespread-fraud-2020-election-1234679929/
7. “Georgia Trump investigation: Parts of grand jury report to be revealed” USA TODAY, 16 Feb. 2023, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/02/16/georgia-investigation-trump-report/11264905002
8. “Parts of report on Trump's Georgia election meddling to be released” The Jerusalem Post, 16 Feb. 2023, https://www.jpost.com/international/article-731776
