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.
-
August 3 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday’s political cartoons include a human data center, Donald Trump's enterprising spirit, and more
-
5 darkly funny cartoons about Israel blocking aid to Gaza
Cartoons Artists take on forcing famine, avoiding aid, and more
-
The easy elegance of Cap Ferret
The Week Recommends 'Elemental and otherworldly' destination is loved for its natural beauty
-
Trump revives K-12 Presidential Fitness Test
Speed Read The Obama administration phased the test out in 2012, replacing it with a program focused on overall health rather than standardized benchmarks
-
El Salvador scraps term limits, boosting Nayib Bukele
Speed Read New constitutional changes will allow presidents to seek reelection an indefinite number of times
-
Trump assigns tariffs, delays all except on Canada
Speed Read A 35% tariff on many Canadian goods has gone into effect
-
Harris rules out run for California governor
Speed Read The 2024 Democratic presidential nominee ended months of speculation about her plans for the contest
-
Trump sets new tariff rates as deadline nears
Speed Read New tariff rates for South Korea, Brazil and India announced
-
Ghislaine Maxwell: angling for a Trump pardon
Talking Point Convicted sex trafficker's testimony could shed new light on president's links to Jeffrey Epstein
-
Senate confirms Trump loyalist Bove to top court
Speed Read The president's former criminal defense lawyer was narrowly approved to earn a lifetime seat
-
Ghislaine Maxwell offers testimony for immunity
Speed Read The convicted sex trafficker offered to testify to Congress about her relationship with late boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein