Lindsey Graham, Rudy Giuliani among Trump allies subpoenaed in Georgia criminal probe
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Rudy Giuliani, and five other allies of former President Donald Trump were subpoenaed on Tuesday to testify before a grand jury as part of the Fulton County, Georgia, investigation into election interference by Trump and people close to him.
The probe was launched in response to Trump's Jan. 2, 2021, phone call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R), during which Trump asked Raffensperger to "find" the votes necessary to overturn Georgia's election results. President Biden won the state by 12,284 votes.
Subpoenas were also issued to lawyers John Eastman, Jenna Ellis, Cleta Mitchell, Jacki Pick Deason, and Kenneth Chesebro. In the wake of the 2020 presidential election, Giuliani and Ellis traveled to different battleground states, including Georgia, in an attempt to overturn the results, with Giuliani showing Georgia lawmakers an edited video of ballots being tabulated in Atlanta. Although the video was debunked, Giuliani continued to show it publicly, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Eastman also spoke with Georgia lawmakers, telling them they had a "duty" to submit alternate electors, and Mitchell was on Trump's call to Raffensperger, while Graham called Raffensperger to ask him about rejecting absentee ballots, court filings show.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The special grand jury, which first started meeting in May, will determine whether any state laws were broken and criminal charges should be filed. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has sent letters to possible witnesses telling them her office is looking into potential violations that include "the solicitation of election fraud, the making of false statements to state and local governmental bodies, conspiracy, racketeering, violation of oath of office, and any involvement in violence or threats related to the election's administration."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
The six-seven meme that has taken over the worldIn the Spotlight With roots in rap and basketball, the phrase has young people obsessed, and it could be here to stay
-
Five takeaways from Plaid Cymru’s historic Caerphilly by-election winThe Explainer The ‘big beasts’ were ‘humbled’ but there was disappointment for second-placed Reform too
-
A journey through Trinidad’s wild heartThe Week Recommends Experience the island’s natural wonders, from watching baby turtles hatch to visiting an ancient bat cave
-
Trump wants to exert control over federal architectureThe Explainer Beyond his ballroom, Trump has several other architectural plans in mind
-
NY attorney general asks public for ICE raid footageSpeed Read Rep. Dan Goldman claims ICE wrongly detained four US citizens in the Canal Street raid and held them for a whole day without charges
-
Trump’s huge ballroom to replace razed East WingSpeed Read The White House’s east wing is being torn down amid ballroom construction
-
Trump expands boat strikes to Pacific, killing 5 moreSpeed Read The US military destroyed two more alleged drug smuggling boats in international waters
-
Whistles emerge as Chicago’s tool to fight ICEIN THE SPOTLIGHT As federal agents continue raiding the city, communities have turned to noisemakers to create a warning system
-
Will California’s Proposition 50 kill gerrymandering reform?Talking Points Or is opposing Trump the greater priority for voters?
-
‘The trickle of shutdowns could soon become a flood’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump demands millions from his administrationSpeed Read The president has requested $230 million in compensation from the Justice Department for previous federal investigations
