A Georgia prosecutor on Thursday requested a special grand jury to aid her investigation into possible 2020 election interference by former President Donald Trump and others.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis sent a letter, obtained by NBC News, to Fulton County Superior Court Chief Judge Christopher Brasher asking for a special grand jury to investigate any “coordinated attempts to unlawfully alter the outcome of the 2020 elections in this state.”
A significant number of witnesses have refused to cooperate with the investigation without a subpoena requiring their testimony, Willis wrote.
Willis cited a NBC “Meet the Press” interview where Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said he would gladly respond to a grand jury summons.
A special grand jury would have the power to subpoena witnesses.
Willis has declined to speak about the specifics of her investigation, but in an interview with The Associated Press earlier this month she confirmed that its scope includes — but is not limited to — a Jan. 2, 2021, phone call between Trump and Raffensperger; a November 2020 phone call between U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Raffensperger; the abrupt resignation of the U.S. attorney in Atlanta on Jan. 4, 2021; as well as comments made during December 2020 Georgia legislative committee hearings on the election.
Willis said the special grand jury is needed because it can serve a term longer than a normal grand jury term. It would also be able to focus on this investigation alone, allowing it to focus on the complex facts and circumstances. And having a special grand jury would mean that the regular seated grand jury wouldn’t have to deal with this investigation in addition to their regular duties, she wrote.
In a statement, Trump defended his phone call with Raffensperger, calling it “perfect.” He also reiterated false claims of election fraud, suggesting that the special grand jury should investigate his claims rather than his phone call.
A spokesman for Willis said there was no further statement beyond the contents of the letter at this time.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
