Georgia DA requests special grand jury for Trump election probe

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is requesting a special grand jury to assist in her investigation into former President Donald Trump and his efforts to overturn the result of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.

In a letter sent Thursday to Fulton County Superior Court Chief Judge Christopher Brasher, Willis wrote that her office has "received information indicating a reasonable probability that the state of Georgia's administration of elections in 2020, including the state's election of the president of the United States, was subject to possible criminal disruptions."

She asked Brasher to impanel a special grand jury, which would have the power to subpoena witnesses, because they can serve a term longer than a normal grand jury, The Associated Press reports.

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On Jan. 2, 2021, Trump called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) and implored him to "find" the 11,780 votes necessary to reverse President Biden's win in the state. During an interview with AP this month, Willis confirmed that her investigation's scope includes the call between Trump and Raffensperger; a November 2020 phone call between Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Raffensperger; and the sudden resignation of the U.S. attorney in Atlanta on Jan. 4, 2021.

In a statement released Thursday, Trump described his call to Raffensperger as "perfect," and repeated his false claim that there was widespread voter fraud in Georgia; election officials in the state have said repeatedly there is no evidence to back up Trump's allegations.