Grand Jury Investigating Trump: ‘Perjury May Have Been Committed’
A federal judge in Georgia on Thursday released portions of a report compiled by a special grand jury investigating whether former President Donald Trump and his allies tampered in the state’s 2020 presidential election. The material released didn’t include many details, although the grand jury did come to a consequential conclusion.
“We find by a unanimous vote that no widespread fraud took place in the Georgia 2020 presidential election that could result in overturning that election,” the grand jury wrote.
The grand jury also wrote that some of the witnesses interviewed may have lied. “A majority of the Grand Jury believes that perjury may have been committed by one or more witnesses testifying before it,” the grand jury added. “The Grand Jury recommends that the District Attorney seek appropriate indictments for such crimes where the evidence is compelling.”
The release come after Robert McBurney of the Fulton County Superior Court ruled on Monday that he would make portions of the grand jury’s report public later in the week. He didn’t give many details, but he did note that he will release the report’s introduction and conclusion, as well as information pertaining to the potential that “some witnesses may have lied under oath during their testimony.”
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has been investigating whether Trump and his allies meddled in the state’s 2020 presidential election. Last January, Willis was granted permission to seat a special grand jury with subpoena power to aid the criminal probe. The grand jury has since subpoenaed a slew of Trump World figures, including Rudy Giuliani, Sen. Lindsey Graham, former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, and former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.
The grand jury also subpoenaed the “fake electors” who participated in the scheme to overturn the election results. Willis informed all 16 of them last year that they are also targets in the investgation.
Trump is also a target, of course. The former president famously pressured Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find” the votes necessary to flip the state to him. “I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have. Because we won the state,” Trump said on a call days before the election was certified.
It’s long seemed possible that Willis could indict Trump for his role, although the portions of the grand jury report released on Thursday don’t include anything pertaining to criminal liability of Trump or others the probe is targeting. Willis said last month that decisions on indictments are “imminent.”