Georgia grand jury is voting on possible indictment of Trump in 2020 election probe

Unclear at the moment which people were charged

A grand jury investigating whether Trump and his allies attempted to interfere with Georgia’s 2020 presidential election has returned an indictment, but it is not yet clear which individuals were charged.

Grand jury returns an indictment for 10 indictments

The court clerk wrote on a certificate that the grand jury has returned an indictment. Ten people were indicted.

Indictment unsealing process begins, judge returns to bench

The indictment unsealing process is underway.

The judge is back on the bench in his courtroom after the grand jury began voting more than 45 minutes ago.

Listen to the full 2021 call between Trump and Raffensperger

Jan. 3, 202101:02:04

Grand jury is voting now

Blayne Alexander

A source familiar with the proceedings said the Fulton County grand jury is voting now.

Duncan calls out ‘misinformation’ surrounding 2020 election: It was ‘fair and legal’

Geoff Duncan, who was Georgia’s lieutenant governor during the 2020 election, called out “misinformation” and “lies” surrounding the previous presidential election in brief comments with reporters today after his appearance before the grand jury.

Duncan declined to provide details about his testimony and didn’t name Trump directly, but he condemned falsehoods about the election.

“As a Republican, this is a pivot point for us. This is a pivot point that we’re either going to wake up to or we’re not,” Duncan said outside the Fulton County Courthouse.

“There’s been a lot of misinformation for a number of years, and this is our opportunity to get the real story out. But my hope is that Americans believe us. My hope is that Republicans believe us: that this election was fair and legal.”

Duncan said Republicans have the opportunity to “hit the reset button, to launch into a GOP 2.0 that focuses on policies that matter — not lies, not tweets — but policies that matter.”

Grand jury takes break after hearing from seventh witness

Blayne Alexander

The grand jury finished hearing from the seventh witness shortly before 7:30 p.m. ET, a source with direct knowledge of the proceedings told NBC News.

Members of the grand jury are taking a brief break, the source said.

Judge: ‘Another hour’

Judge Robert McBurney, the Fulton County Superior Court judge who has presided over parts of the election probe, continues to offer tidbits of information to the press camped out in his courtroom.

“I’ve been told I need to be here for another hour,” McBurney said.

He brought a box of potato chips in for the media — Lay’s.

Grand jury hears from seventh witness out of 10

Blayne Alexander

Shortly after 6:30 p.m., the grand jury began hearing from witness No. 7, out of 10, a source familiar with the proceedings said.

The source cautioned that the district attorney might not hear from all 10 witnesses before the grand jury votes on potential indictments.

The DA’s office is trying to wrap up everything tonight, but the process remains fluid, the source added.

Judge to reporters waiting in courthouse: ‘Hang in there’

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney, who has presided over parts of the election probe, has a crowd of journalists waiting in his courtroom and hasn’t shied from coming out to chat.

“Y’all doing alright?” McBurney said to the assembled media shortly before 7 p.m. “Well, hang in there. I’m doing the same.”

In Georgia, cameras could sharpen the focus on Trump in the courtroom

If Trump is indicted in Fulton County, it will not be the first time the former president will answer to criminal charges in a courtroom. But this time, the entire process is likely to play out on live television.

Unlike in federal or Manhattan courts, where Trump appeared for his three previous arraignments, Georgia law requires that cameras be allowed into judicial proceedings with a judge’s approval.

In 2018, the Georgia Supreme Court, in an order amending the law to include smartphones, underscored the importance of transparency: “Open courtrooms are an indispensable element of an effective and respected judicial system.

“It is the policy of Georgia’s courts to promote access to and understanding of court proceedings not only by the participants in them but also by the general public and by news media who will report on the proceedings to the public.”

Read the full story here.

Giuliani on possible Fulton County indictment: ‘I didn’t do anything wrong’

Former Trump attorney Giuliani was approached outside his Upper East Side apartment in Manhattan today about a potential indictment stemming from the Fulton County district attorney’s probe.

When asked whether he’s worried about a possible indictment, Giuliani told NBC News: “I shouldn’t be. I didn’t do anything wrong.” 

“But I mean that doesn’t stop some of these people from — I mean it’s ridiculous, this’ll be the fourth indictment of Donald Trump in an election year,” he continued. “I guess we can figure out that these really aren’t indictments. These are attempts to prevent him from running for president of the United States. They stopped being indictments probably two indictments ago.”

He added that he believed the legal challenges would “result in a massive victory for Donald Trump.”