Lindsey Graham's attorneys say he'll challenge Georgia grand jury subpoena
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
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."
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.
-
Minnesota's legal system buckles under Trump's ICE surgeIN THE SPOTLIGHT Mass arrests and chaotic administration have pushed Twin Cities courts to the brink as lawyers and judges alike struggle to keep pace with ICE’s activity
-
Big-time money squabbles: the conflict over California’s proposed billionaire taxTalking Points Californians worth more than $1.1 billion would pay a one-time 5% tax
-
‘The West needs people’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump links funding to name on Penn StationSpeed Read Trump “can restart the funding with a snap of his fingers,” a Schumer insider said
-
Trump reclassifies 50,000 federal jobs to ease firingsSpeed Read The rule strips longstanding job protections from federal workers
-
Is the Gaza peace plan destined to fail?Today’s Big Question Since the ceasefire agreement in October, the situation in Gaza is still ‘precarious’, with the path to peace facing ‘many obstacles’
-
Vietnam’s ‘balancing act’ with the US, China and EuropeIn the Spotlight Despite decades of ‘steadily improving relations’, Hanoi is still ‘deeply suspicious’ of the US as it tries to ‘diversify’ its options
-
Trump demands $1B from Harvard, deepening feudSpeed Read Trump has continually gone after the university during his second term
-
Trump’s Kennedy Center closure plan draws ireSpeed Read Trump said he will close the center for two years for ‘renovations’
-
Trump's ‘weaponization czar’ demoted at DOJSpeed Read Ed Martin lost his title as assistant attorney general
-
Gabbard faces questions on vote raid, secret complaintSpeed Read This comes as Trump has pushed Republicans to ‘take over’ voting
