Lindsey Graham's attorneys say he'll challenge Georgia grand jury subpoena


Attorneys for Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said on Wednesday that the lawmaker plans to go to court and challenge a subpoena he received from a special grand jury in Fulton County, Georgia, that is investigating election interference by former President Donald Trump and people close to him.
In a statement, attorneys Bart Daniel and Matt Austin said they were told by Fulton County investigators that Graham is "neither a subject nor target of the investigation, simply a witness. This is all politics."
Court filings state that in the wake of the 2020 presidential election, Graham called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) and his staff on two occasions and asked about "re-examining certain absentee ballots cast in Georgia in order to explore the possibility of a more favorable outcome for President Donald Trump." The filings also say Graham brought up baseless claims of widespread voter fraud. Graham's attorneys said because their client was chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee at the time, he was "well within his right to discuss with state officials the processes and procedures around administering elections."
Subscribe to 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.
Graham was one of seven Trump allies who received subpoenas on Tuesday from the special grand jury, which first began meeting in May and will determine whether any state laws were broken and criminal charges should be filed. Fulton County Deputy District Attorney Jeff DiSantis said on Wednesday that if any witnesses "choose to challenge an order that they testify before the special purpose grand jury, the district attorney will respond in the appropriate court to compel their appearance."
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.
-
Trump uses tariffs to upend Brazil's domestic politics
IN THE SPOTLIGHT By slapping a 50% tariff on Brazil for its criminal investigation into Bolsonaro, the Trump administration is brazenly putting its fingers on the scales of a key foreign election
-
3 questions to ask when deciding whether to repair or replace your broken appliance
the explainer There may be merit to fixing what you already have, but sometimes buying new is even more cost-effective
-
'Trump's authoritarian manipulation of language'
Instant Opinion Vienna has become a 'convenient target for populists' | Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump uses tariffs to upend Brazil's domestic politics
IN THE SPOTLIGHT By slapping a 50% tariff on Brazil for its criminal investigation into Bolsonaro, the Trump administration is brazenly putting its fingers on the scales of a key foreign election
-
'Trump's authoritarian manipulation of language'
Instant Opinion Vienna has become a 'convenient target for populists' | Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump set to hit Canada with 35% tariffs
Speed Read The president accused Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney of failing to stop the cross-border flow of fentanyl
-
Could Trump really 'take over' American cities?
Today's Big Question Trump has proposed a federal takeover of New York City and Washington, D.C.
-
Mahmoud Khalil files $20M claim over ICE detention
Speed Read This is the 'first damages complaint' brought by an individual targeted by the Trump's administration's 'crackdown' on Gaza war protesters
-
Trump threatens Brazil with 50% tariffs
Speed Read He accused Brazil's current president of leading a 'witch hunt' against far-right former leader Jair Bolsonaro
-
Is the Trump-Putin bromance over... again?
Today's Big Question The US president has admitted he's 'p*ssed off' with his opposite number
-
AI scammer fakes Rubio messages to top officials
Speed Read The unknown individual mimicked Rubio in voice and text messages sent to multiple government officials