Last week as we reported, the Atlanta judge, Robert C.I. McBurney of Fulton County Superior Court, released parts of the grand jury report on the Trump investigation. Those reports were released on Thursday, February 16th, and said that “jurors believed one or more witnesses committed perjury during their probe into efforts to overturn the 2020 election.” Now the Georgia Grand Jury is recommending indictments against over a dozen people. And while those people were left unnamed, the jury foreperson hinted Tuesday that that list might include Trump.
According to NBC Philadelphia,
“There are certainly names that you will recognize, yes. There are names also you might not recognize,” Emily Kohrs [the foreperson] said in an interview for NBC News’ “Nightly News.”
She said the list of recommended indictments is “not a short list.”
This is the latest update to our original story.
Atlanta Grand Jury Report Released – “No Widespread Fraud”
Monday we reported that the Atlanta judge, Robert C.I. McBurney of Fulton County Superior Court, would be releasing parts of the grand jury report on the Trump investigation. Those reports were released on February 16th, Thursday, and said that “jurors believed one or more witnesses committed perjury during their probe into efforts to overturn the 2020 election.” While the judge only decided to release the introduction, conclusion, and a section where they grand jury discussed witnesses lying under oath – it was decided Monday the rest would be redacted to keep identities anonymous.
Georgia Judge Comes To Decision On Trump Probe Documents
Why does this verdict matter?
This investigation remains a key piece of legislation in deciding whether or not to charge former President Trump and his allies with criminal charges. While the released pages did not include any names or details about recommendations for charges – that information could still be within the held parts of the document.
Results of the investigation:
It was decided, by the grand jury, that no widespread fraud took place in the Georgia 2020 presidential election.
The 26-member grand jury also said that after hearing “extensive testimony” from poll workers, investigators, experts and state officials: “We find by unanimous vote that no widespread fraud took place in the Georgia 2020 presidential election that could result in overturning that election.”
After previous reports that the Georgia special grand jury might release their reports, based on a judge’s recommendation we have some answers. A Georgia judge has agreed to release PARTS of the report after requests. This comes as the judge said he believed other parts could contain due process concerns for named individuals. These reports are set to be released on February 16th.
Latest In Georgia’s Investigation On Trump: Prosecutor Teases Charges
According to The New York Times,
A Georgia judge said on Monday that he would disclose parts of a grand jury report later this week that details an investigation into election interference by former President Donald J. Trump and his allies, though he would keep the jury’s recommendations secret for now.
In making his ruling, the judge, Robert C.I. McBurney of Fulton County Superior Court, said the special grand jury raised concerns in its report “that some witnesses may have lied under oath during their testimony.” But the eight-page ruling included few revelations about the report, the contents of which have been carefully guarded, with the only physical copy in the possession of the district attorney’s office.
Judge Opens Hearing On Georgia Probe Into Trump
JUST IN: Fulton County Judge Robert McBurney issues order denying full release of Georgia grand jury report on 2020 election interference, citing due process concerns for named individuals. Parts of the report are set to be released on February 16. pic.twitter.com/0nsTWESQlm
— Anna Bower (@AnnaBower) February 13, 2023
Georgia’s Probe Into Trump Ends – What Happens Next?
President Trump’s Georgia Probe a Georgia prosecutor indicated she would likely seek criminal charges against Trump. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, argued that decisions “were imminent,” according to AP. Besides the Georgia counsels investigation into Trump, the Department of Justice is working to separately investigate Trump and his role in attempts at overturning the 2020 presidential elections.
Willis opened her office’s investigation shortly after the release of a recording of a Jan. 2, 2021, phone call between Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. In that conversation, the then-president suggested that Raffensperger, a fellow Republican, could “find” the votes needed to overturn Trump’s narrow election loss in the state to Biden, a Democrat.
“All I want to do is this: I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have,” Trump said on the call.
Since then, the investigation’s scope has broadened considerably, encompassing among other things: a slate of Republican fake electors, phone calls by Trump and others to Georgia officials in the weeks after the 2020 election, and unfounded allegations of widespread election fraud made to state lawmakers.
“She’s supposed to be stopping violent crime, and that’s her job,” Trump said of Willis. “Not to go after people for political reasons, that did things absolutely perfectly.”
It is unclear how Willis’ case will impact the Justice Department’s probes or what contact her team has had with federal investigators. Justice Department prosecutors have been circumspect in discussing their investigations, offering little insight into how or when they might end.
Last month an Atlanta judge will convene a hearing to decide on if they should release the special grand jury report into Donald Trump. The case pertains to the 2020 election and ultimately whether or not President Trump should face charges. The judge is said to be hearing arguments for both sides during the hearing. This comes after the special grand jury in the state spent 7 months creating their final report – which is likely to include some summary of their work, and recommendations based on those findings.
The jurors have recommended making the report public, and Fani Willis, the district attorney in Fulton county, which encompasses Georgia’s capital, is using its findings to determine whether to bring charges in the investigation, which has centered on the attempts by top Trump allies like attorney Rudy Giuliani and senator Lindsey Graham to convince state officials to overturn Joe Biden’s victory in the state. It’s unclear if Willis is considering charges against Trump in the case. Attorneys for the former president said yesterday they will not attend the hearing, and that Trump has not committed any crimes.
According to CNN, Trump’s attorneys will not be participating in the hearing Tuesday. Though,
The judge will have to weigh the public’s interest in learning about efforts to interfere in the last presidential election against concerns that making the information public could hinder an ongoing investigation if the district attorney is pursuing indictments and that the release could disparage individuals who have not been charged with crimes.
