“One or more” witnesses in Georgia investigation Donald TrumpUS attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election may have been lies under oath, a special grand jury in the case has found. short report published Thursday.
The grand jury recommended indictments against all witnesses who may have perjured themselves.
“The majority of the grand jury believes that perjury may have been committed by one or more of the witnesses who testified before it,” the judge said. the report has been read. “The Grand Jury encourages the District Attorney to seek appropriate indictments for such crimes if the evidence is compelling.”
The five-page report released by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney is an excerpt from a longer grand jury report. The section released includes an introduction, a conclusion, and a section in which the jury considered the possibility of perjury.
A special grand jury was examining efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election, which Trump said without evidence was stolen as a result of voter fraud. In its report, the grand jury confirmed there was no voter fraud, noting that it heard “extensive testimony” from election officials, investigators, government officials and many others.
“We unanimously conclude that there was no widespread fraud in the 2020 Georgia presidential election that could have led to the election being overturned,” the report said.
Over seven months, the grand jury heard testimony from 75 witnesses, including a former White House chief of staff. Mark Meadowsformer New York mayor Rudy Giuliani and Chairman of the Republican Party of Georgia David Shafer.
Notably, the special grand jury report did not mention who may have committed perjury or suggest whether other laws may have been violated. While a special grand jury can recommend charges, whether to issue indictments is ultimately up to prosecutors.
The investigation, which began in February 2021, is based on hourly phone call in January 2021 between Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, in which Trump instructed Raffensperger to “find” the nearly 12,000 votes he needed to win the state in the 2020 election.
“All I want to do is this. I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than us. Because we won the state.” Trump continued the conversation. President Joe Biden won Georgia with 11,779 votes.
Investigators also reviewed evidence of potential criminal activity and conspiracy to overturn the election, including false claims of election fraud, unauthorized access to voting machines, and threats and harassment against election officials.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said she may file charges following the grand jury report. At a hearing last month in Atlanta, she told the presiding judge that the decision to press charges was “inevitable” As of February 16, the grand jury's recommendations for criminal charges remain in effect.
