The Georgia grand jury conducting a criminal investigation into whether there were any “coordinated attempts to unlawfully alter the outcome of the 2020 elections” in the state by former President Donald Trump and his allies has completed its work, a judge said in a ruling issued Monday.
The grand jury was convened for an investigation into “‘the facts and circumstances relating directly or indirectly to possible attempts to disrupt the lawful administration of the 2020 elections in the State of Georgia’ and to prepare a report on whether anyone should be prosecuted for such potential crimes,” Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney recounted in a ruling.
His ruling dissolved the panel because it has completed its work and submitted its report on its findings to the Fulton County district attorney’s office. The ruling, which was first reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, did not say what those findings were.
“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,” the judge wrote.
The special purpose grand jury is different than a typical grand jury — it submits its findings in a report to Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who then decides whether to present evidence to a grand jury for criminal indictments.
A spokesperson for Willis declined to comment. A spokesperson for Trump also did not immediately return a request for comment.
Nov. 22, 202203:14
Willis called for the special grand jury last year because the panel had the power to issue subpoenas to force witnesses to testify. Among those who were questioned about their efforts to overturn results in the state were Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who’d been pressured by Trump and his allies to alter the outcome of the 2020 election, also testified.
Among the incidents Willis is reviewing is Trump’s Jan. 2, 2021, phone call with Raffensperger in which he urged the state’s top election official to overturn Joe Biden’s win. “All I want to do is this. I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have. Because we won the state,” Trump said in the call.
Trump has maintained he did nothing wrong in the Raffensperger call and described it as “perfect.”
It’s unclear when the grand jury report might become public. The judge scheduled a hearing on whether it should be. McBurney’s order said the grand jury “certified that it voted to recommend that its report be published.”
Blayne Alexander and Charlie Gile contributed.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
