Georgia Grand Jury Subpoenas Giuliani, Eastman Over Trump’s Efforts To Overturn Election

Topline

A group of former Trump legal advisors who pushed to overturn the results of the 2020 election were subpoenaed in Fulton County, Georgia, signaling that a special grand jury’s investigation into former President Donald Trump’s attempts to overturn his loss in Georgia is zeroing in on his inner circle.

Key Facts

Former Trump personal attorney Rudy Giuliani and conservative legal scholar John Eastman headline the seven-person subpoena list, along with Trump-allied lawyers Jenna Ellis, Cleta Mitchell and Kenneth Chesbro.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)—who allegedly asked Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) after the election if he had the power to discard mail-in ballots in certain counties—was also subpoenaed, along with Jacki Pick Deason, a right-wing podcast host on Blaze Media who pushed false election fraud claims.

State Superior Court Judge Robert C. I. McBurney signed off on the subpoenas last week, according to documents filed in court Tuesday, a required step since the grand jury is seeking testimony from out-of-state witnesses.

Crucial Quote

“The Witness possesses unique knowledge concerning communications between himself, former President Trump, the Trump Campaign and other known and unknown individuals involved in the multi-state, coordinated efforts to influence the results of the November 2020 election in Georgia and elsewhere,” McBurney wrote in issuing Giuliani’s subpoena.

What To Watch For

McBurney set July 12 as the date for the witnesses to testify before the special grand jury.

Key Background

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) started an investigation into Trump’s post-election conduct in February 2021, and the special grand jury was empaneled in May of this year. The special grand jury will conduct its probe for up to a year before issuing a report that could recommend a criminal indictment if wrongdoing is found—but a separate grand jury would need to indict Trump or any others. The Georgia probe is not directly connected to federal investigations into efforts to overturn the election results, though Giuliani and Eastman have emerged as central figures in recent House January 6 committee hearings. The committee has played several clips of Giuliani testifying in front of Georgia lawmakers after the 2020 election, which show Giuliani pushing unfounded conspiracy theories that the state’s presidential election was rigged against Trump. The former president lost five states in 2020 he carried in 2016, but he seemed particularly irked by losing Georgia, which hadn’t gone for a Democrat in a presidential election since 1992. Trump launched repeated attacks against Raffensperger and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) after the election, and unsuccessfully campaigned for their opponents in this year’s midterm primaries.

Further Reading

Trump Investigation Heats Up In Georgia As DA Convenes Grand Jury—Here’s What Happens Next (Forbes)

Who Is John Eastman? The Attorney At The Center Of Trump’s January 6 Strategy. (Forbes)

Graham’s post-election call with Raffensperger will be scrutinized in Georgia probe, person familiar with inquiry says (Washington Post)

Trump’s Picks Get Clobbered In Georgia Primaries—But He Still Claims ‘Success’ (Forbes)