Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who led former President Donald Trump's legal effort to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, announced Wednesday that he had issued a special order in Georgia. He began testifying before a grand jury could investigate. Allegations of election interference in the state by the Trump campaign.
Georgia was one of Trump's six battleground states to defeat in his re-election bid, followed by a legal and political pressure campaign to turn the election result in Trump's favor. It was started. However, it is the only state where local prosecutors are investigating those involved in the scheme. He was ordered to appear as a witness before a county special purpose grand jury, but was recently informed that he is no longer appearing. Gilani's change in status does not mean that a longtime friend of Trump will be indicted. No, but it raises the odds of his criminal charges and makes him the closest person to a former president who could be indicted.
Being targeted suggests that "prosecutors believe there is substantial evidence that the person committed the crime," said the former federal prosecutor. said Kimberly Wale, now a law professor at the University of Baltimore.
Giuliani is not the only Trump aide ordered to testify before a grand jury in Georgia. The grand jury was set up earlier this year and has obtained testimony from several other witnesses. Several other attorneys involved in Trump's efforts in Georgia have also been asked to testify.
Another leading subpoena witness is one of Trump's closest allies. Lindsey Graham, Republican Senator from South Carolina. Prosecutors said in November 2020 Georgia's Brad He wanted to call Secretary of State Raffensperger and her twice to question whether certain mail-in ballots could be destroyed. I'm here. Graham, who says the phone calls served legislative purposes, has been ordered to testify before a grand jury next week. After certifying, she notified 16 people who falsely claimed to be Trump's "electoral voters" that they were under her investigation.
All of this has raised Trump's legal stakes. John Malcolm, a former federal prosecutor in Georgia and now deputy director of the conservative Heritage Institute for Constitutional Government, said Willis has not publicly identified the former president as a target of her investigation. Trump appears to be the primary target, he said. Foundation.
"The key person in this investigation is clearly Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani, [former Trump attorney] Creta Mitchell, or any alternate elector [or any other person she names as a target]. ] not," said Malcolm. Willis.
Drew Findling, one of his attorneys representing Trump in Georgia, did not respond to questions for comment. Giuliani, a longtime Trump friend from New York, said when his efforts to stay in office failed after Democratic challenger Biden's victory in a key battleground state propelled him to victory. , has emerged as Trump's strongest defender.
His one such state was Georgia, where Biden won with his 11,779 votes.
In December 2021, Giuliani traveled to the state to tell Georgia legislators hearings that the state's elections were undermined by widespread voter fraud and to replace Trump with presidential electors. asked to nominate.
A viral video played during the hearing reportedly showed suitcases of ballots pulled from under the table and secretly tallied after Republican monitors left. It is
Giuliani's allegations were thoroughly debunked by state and federal officials. But Trump nevertheless called the state's chief elections officer, Raffensperger, in early January asking him to "find" the 11,780 votes.
All of this appears to be under investigation in Georgia. Willis, a Georgia prosecutor who has been largely tight-lipped about her investigation, wrote in a letter to state officials last year that she accused of soliciting election fraud, making false statements to local officials, conspiracy and extortion. He said he was investigating possible violations of Georgia law. , breach of oath, and engagement in violence or threats of violence.
Clark Cunningham, a law professor at Georgia State University, said Giuliani's false statements to the Georgia legislature would be one of his reasons for scrutinizing his actions.
"He made many statements about election fraud. Had he known the statements contained false information, he would have committed a felony under Georgia law." I guess," Cunningham said in an interview.
Additionally, Giuliani could be indicted under the Georgia Looters-Influenced Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act for his role in furthering the scheme of false electors. There is, he said, Cunningham.
A recent court filing by the DA's office found that prosecutors believed "Giuliani was directly involved in facilitating the so-called False Electoral College scheme here in Georgia."
If Willis decides to pursue RICO charges, Wale said Trump could be involved.
“Trump called Raffensperger and asked him to find 11,780 votes, so he got caught up in it. On multiple counts,” Wale said.
Malcolm of the Heritage Foundation, however, scoffed at the idea that Trump and his associates could be indicted under RICO. Not consigliere," Malcolm said. "This is the President of the United States and a lawyer. Now, Rudy Giuliani, and John Eastman and Sidney Powell for that matter, may have given the President terrible bad advice, but it's advice nonetheless. Law & In a statement to the Crime website, Trump's attorney Findling called the Georgia special grand jury investigation "misplaced and exaggerated."
The Fulton County D.A. office has subpoenaed virtually all major parties involved in the Trump campaign's alleged attempt to overturn the election results in Georgia.
A "special purpose" grand jury has no power to remand an indictment, but may make recommendations regarding criminal prosecution. can be prosecuted by appealing to a grand jury of
