The Fulton County District Attorney, Fani Willis, is expected to present her case against former President Donald Trump and his allies for their alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia to a grand jury next week, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The investigation into Trump’s phone call
Willis launched the investigation in February 2021, after a recording of Trump’s phone call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on January 2, 2021, was made public. In the call, Trump urged Raffensperger to “find 11,780 votes” – the exact number he needed to win Georgia – and threatened him with criminal consequences if he failed to do so.
The investigation is looking into whether Trump and his allies violated Georgia’s laws on election fraud, racketeering, conspiracy, and solicitation of election fraud. Willis has said that she is not afraid to charge anyone involved in the case, including Trump himself.
The witnesses subpoenaed to testify
So far, at least three witnesses have been subpoenaed to testify before the grand jury in August. They are:
- Former Georgia Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, who has been a vocal critic of Trump’s efforts to undermine the election results. He told CNN that he did not sanction the hearings that Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani held at the Georgia state Senate in December 2020, where he spread conspiracy theories and false claims about voter fraud.
- Independent journalist George Chidi, who recorded and published a video of a conversation between Trump and Georgia election official Frances Watson on December 23, 2020. In the call, Trump pressured Watson to find evidence of fraud in Fulton County and promised her that she would be “praised” if she did.
- Former Georgia Democratic state Sen. Jen Jordan, who attended the hearings that Giuliani held at the state Senate. She witnessed Giuliani present a video that purported to show fraud in Fulton County, but was later debunked by federal and state authorities.
The possible outcomes of the case
If Willis decides to seek indictments against Trump and his allies, it would be the fourth criminal case that the former president is facing. He is also under investigation by the special counsel for his role in the January 6 Capitol riot, by the Manhattan district attorney for his business dealings and hush money payments, and by the New York attorney general for his tax and financial practices.
However, indicting a former president is a rare and unprecedented move that could face legal and political challenges. Trump’s lawyers have already filed a notice of appeal after a Fulton County judge denied their motion to disqualify Willis from the probe. They have also argued that Trump’s phone calls were protected by the First Amendment and that he was acting within his official duties as president.
Willis has said that she is not motivated by politics or personal animosity, but by her duty to uphold the law and protect democracy. She has also said that she is ready to go before the grand jury and present her case.
