On Friday, a newly unveiled report indicated that a select grand jury, probing the attempts to reverse the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia, had advised filing charges against a significantly broader group than what was eventually pursued by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. Notably, this group encompasses one sitting and two ex-U.S. senators.
The comprehensive report, spanning nine pages, illustrates that the jury had advocated for indictments against a total of 39 individuals, a number that starkly contrasts with the 18 individuals who were actually charged, including the former President Donald Trump. Surprisingly, amongst the uncharged are Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and former U.S. Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue of Georgia, alongside ex-national security adviser Michael Flynn.
Although fragments of the report surfaced in February, the judge overseeing the case had postponed unveiling any specific recommendations concerning individual charges until the conclusion of the indictment process last month. Although the case has lost some of its initial buzz, it remains significant that the grand jury’s suggestions encompassed several individuals who were not ultimately indicted.
Requests for comments from Graham went unanswered on Friday. Likewise, an attorney who previously represented Flynn did not respond to a request for comment dispatched via email.
Over a period of seven months, the panel engaged with about 75 witnesses before finalizing a report in December, which outlined potential charges pertaining to efforts to reverse the 2020 presidential election outcomes. Willis emphasized that the panel’s ability to issue subpoenas was vital in securing testimonies from reluctant witnesses.
In February, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney permitted a partial dissemination of the report but refrained from releasing the jury’s stance on potential prosecutions, citing a need to uphold the individuals’ right to due process. However, in a recent update filed on August 28, McBurney acknowledged that the concerns regarding due process have become irrelevant since a standard grand jury has formally indicted Trump along with 18 others, under the state’s anti-racketeering statute. All the accused have entered a plea of not guilty.
The list of those indicted includes notable figures such as the former New York mayor and Trump’s lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, and the ex-White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows, both of whom have testified before the special grand jury. Despite being a prominent contender for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, Trump did not receive a summons nor made an appearance before the panel.
Sections of the report that saw the light in February encompassed the preliminary and final remarks, alongside a segment where the grand jurors voiced apprehensions about potential perjury instances by one or several witnesses, urging the legal officials to consider perjury charges. The foreperson of the panel, during media interactions, revealed that the grand jurors had advocated for a substantial number of indictments.
