The Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta, Georgia, has increased its security measures ahead of a potential announcement of criminal charges against former President Donald Trump and his allies for their alleged interference in the 2020 election. The district attorney’s office has sent subpoenas to witnesses and indicated that indictments could be issued this month.
DA Fani Willis investigates election interference
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has been conducting a wide-ranging investigation since early 2021 into whether there were any “coordinated attempts to unlawfully alter the outcome of the 2020 elections” by Trump and his allies. She enlisted a special grand jury last year that was empowered to subpoena witnesses to assist in the probe; it heard testimony from 75 witnesses, court records show. The panel recommended indicting more than a dozen people, its foreperson said on NBC’s “Nightly News” in February.
Among those who have received subpoenas to testify are former state Sen. Jen Jordan and state Rep. Bee Nguyen — two Democrats who attended hearings where Rudy Giuliani, then a lawyer for Trump, urged officials not to certify the Georgia election results based on debunked conspiracy theories. Republican former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan also confirmed he has received a subpoena to testify. The subpoenas instruct each recipient to remain “on call” in August, noting that they “will receive at least 48 hours’ notice before your presence is required.
Road closure and bomb-sniffing dog signal imminent charges
The scene outside the Fulton County Courthouse in downtown Atlanta is perhaps the biggest indication that something major could soon be happening inside. The road in front of the building has been closed to traffic, orange barricades and metal barriers line the street, and officers from both the sheriff’s and marshal’s offices have a visible presence. Monday morning, a bomb-sniffing dog was brought in to check media vehicles.
The extra security measures in place Monday were expected after Willis sent the chief judge and law enforcement officials letters this year indicating her office could seek indictments in the first half of August. “I respectfully request that judges not schedule trials and in person hearings during the weeks beginning Monday, August 7 and Monday, August 14,” Willis wrote in her letter to the chief judge in May.
Trump denies wrongdoing and challenges DA’s authority
Trump has denied any wrongdoing in the case. His lawyers submitted a court filing in March arguing that all the evidence gathered by the grand jury should be deemed unconstitutional and that Willis should be “disqualified from further investigation and/or prosecution of this matter.
In a response filed earlier this week, Willis’ office said Trump’s requests should be dismissed because they “lack merit.” Trump’s lawyers then asked Tuesday for three weeks to reply to the DA’s response, a request Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney denied Friday.
Trump is also facing several other legal challenges, including investigations into his business dealings in New York and a civil lawsuit over his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
