The Georgia investigation into whether former President Donald Trump and his allies illegally interfered in the 2020 election is approaching a stage where charges could be recommended.
An Atlanta-area special grand jury, requested by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, is nearing its end after multiple high-profile witnesses offered testimony, according to multiple reports.
The panel, which has the authority to subpoena witnesses and documents, but not to issues indictments, is now putting together a final report, which may include recommendations for criminal charges, sources told CNN.
A group of Fulton County judges would first review the report from the 23 jurors before Willis would make a decision about whether to pursue charges by impaneling a separate grand jury, per The Wall Street Journal.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), former national security adviser Michael Flynn, and Trump’s former personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, are among those who testified before the grand jury after losing legal fights against subpoenas.
Willis, a Democrat, began her investigation after the surfacing of a phone call audio recording in which Trump pressed Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find” 11,780 votes, enough to reverse his election loss to now-President Joe Biden in the state. Trump has defended the call as “perfect” and broadly rejected claims of wrongdoing.
The CNN report said the prosecutor’s investigation has expanded to examine election fraud claims made to state lawmakers, an alternate electors scheme, efforts to gain unauthorized access to voting machines, and threats to election workers. These alternate electors, along with Giuliani, have been informed they are targets of Willis’ investigation.
GOP officials have insisted in court filings that they did not break any laws and signed certificates declaring themselves as Trump electors to pave the way for Trump had legal challenges in Georgia managed to overturn the results, the Wall Street Journal report noted.
Trump, who last month announced a third bid for the White House, is separately under investigation by the federal government. Special counsel Jack Smith has been tasked with overseeing investigations into Trump’s handling of government documents after leaving office and circumstances leading up to the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.