Another Donald Trump indictment? Georgia grand jury is picked: The grand jury that will determine whether the former president and others are indicted in Georgia over their efforts to overturn the 2020 election has been seated
Donald Trump and the Big Lie: Will He Pay a Price?
Donald Trump has already been indicted twice this year, first in the state of New York and then again in federal court in Florida by Special Counsel Jack Smith.
More charges from Smith are very possible, in relation to the former president’s election interference attempts, as is another indictment in state court, in Georgia.
Now, that last case has taken a big step forward.
According to CNN, a grand jury in the Georgia was sworn in earlier this week. Actually, two grand juries were sworn in, which will meet twice a week for two weeks, hearing multiple cases, but one of the two will eventually hear the election interference case.
Those grand juries are not to be confused with the “special grand jury,” which launched earlier this year and spent several months hearing from witnesses. That body went on to issue a report with charging recommendations, most of which were redacted when a judge released it. This was the case when the forewoman went on a media tour this spring, irking the former president.
District Attorney Fani Willis has indicated that charging decisions will come in August, which is consistent with the new grand jury’s timeline.
“It’s important that you base your decision on the facts as you find them. Not based on malice, hatred, or envy,” Judge Robert McBurney, the judge in the case, told the new jurors. “You need to remain diligent as you do this. The days can drag on. …We are relying on each of you to listen carefully and decide.”
Per CNN, Willis has said that she is investigating “attempts to influence the administration of the 2020 Georgia General Election.” There are also indications, per the report, that Willis is looking into a long list of other crimes, including “solicitation of election fraud, making false statements to state and local government bodies, conspiracy, racketeering, violation of an oath-of-office, and involvement in election-related threats.” An additional report has stated that conspiracy charges are also on the table.
In addition to Trump, among those who have been targeted by the investigation include his former attorney Rudy Giuliani, as well as the 16 “fake electors” in Georgia, one of whom is the state party chairman. Several of those fake electors have since agreed to cooperate.
While Trump and his allies engaged in all sorts of efforts to overturn the election in different states, which are the focus of the special counsel’s continuing investigation. But in Georgia specifically, the district attorney is thought to be looking at certain actions, most notably Trump’s efforts to pressure state officials, including Gov. Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, to overturn the result or block Biden’s victory in the state.
Trump’s call to Raffensperger, on January 2, 2021, and recorded, and later released to the Washington Post. On the call, Trump claimed to have won by “hundreds of thousands of votes” and told the secretary of state that “I just want to find 11,780 votes.”
In addition, the then-president also attempted to intervene at the federal level, including efforts to “cajole top Justice Department officials and federal prosecutors in Atlanta into falsely claiming that the election was ‘corrupt’ and that Biden’s victory was tainted by massive fraud.” And as in several other swing states, Trump sought to recruit an alternative slate of electors.
“When these efforts failed, Trump urged Georgia state lawmakers to convene a special session to overturn Biden’s victory,” CNN said. “Trump allies, including Giuliani, presented bogus claims of voter fraud to the state House and Senate. The Trump campaign, along with outside lawyers who supported their cause, filed meritless lawsuits that unsuccessfully tried to nullify Biden’s victory.”
Expertise and Experience
Stephen Silver is a Senior Editor for 19FortyFive. He is an award-winning journalist, essayist and film critic, who is also a contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. Follow him on Twitter at @StephenSilver.
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