In another development in the Donald Trump saga, a grand jury is being seated Tuesday in Atlanta, Georgia to consider whether criminal charges are appropriate for the former president and his Republican allies for their efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who has been investigating since shortly after Trump called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to ask him to illegally help him overturn the election results, is expected to present her case before the new grand jury today.
After his election defeat in Georgia, Trump called Raffensperger suggested the state’s top elections official could help him “find 11,780 votes,” just enough needed to beat Democrat Joe Biden.
Last year, Willis asked for a special grand jury to look into the case. That special grand jury was essentially an investigative tool and didn’t have the power to indict. However, Willis employed the panel’s subpoena power to compel testimony from witnesses who otherwise might not be willing to talk to her team. That grand jury issued subpoenas and considered testimony from about 75 witnesses, as well as other evidence, before drafting a final report with recommendations for Willis. That special grand jury was released in January after completing its work.
Despite his legal problems, neither an indictment nor a conviction would prevent Trump from running for or winning the presidency in 2024. He has already been indicted twice this year in other cases.
Trump faces 34 felony charges in New York state court accusing him of falsifying business records in a hush money scheme over allegations of extramarital sexual encounters. And he faces 37 felony charges in federal court in Florida accusing him of hoarding classified documents and refusing government demands to give them back.
In addition, special counsel Jack Smith is investigating Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in multiple states, as well as the events leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
