Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) blasted a grand jury report from Fulton County, Georgia, implicating him in the 2020 election case.
Unlike former President Donald Trump and 18 others, Mr. Graham was not charged in the case of President Trump allegedly trying to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia. The report was released on Sept. 8.
Talking with reporters following his attendance at the Apple Fest Rotary luncheon in Westminster, South Carolina, he accused the grand jury of having “criminalized” him what he claimed was seeking clarification about the election in his role as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. He also lamented the precedent the Fulton County case could set for future elections.
“We’re opening up Pandora’s Box here. Fulton County is one of the most liberal jurisdictions in the country,” he said. “I fear this will spread. That next election, Democrats may be on the other side of this.”
Mr. Graham, who ended up certifying the 2020 election for President Joe Biden, defended his actions. They included a phone call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in what Mr. Graham has claimed was to inquire about how Georgia was conducting its election, including the use of mail-in ballots.
“So at the end of the day, nothing happened,” he said, adding that “we have to be careful not to use the legal system as a political tool.”
Mr. Graham, who was implicated alongside former Georgia Republican Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, appeared in front of the grand jury for several hours in November. He slammed those who believe his actions were criminal.
“To suggest I’m part of some grand scheme to overturn the election makes no sense given my actions,” he said. “It speaks to where we’re at more than anything else. Is just me today; could be somebody else tomorrow. So I would urge the country to understand that political differences are real. Let’s calm down a bit here.”
During his remarks to the media, Mr. Graham doubled down on his support for President Trump’s 2024 presidential bid and said he will keep campaigning for him—despite being jeered at a Trump campaign rally in Pickens, South Carolina, on July 3.
“I will continue to lend my support to President Trump. I think all the things that mattered to me, he was a good president on national security, securing our border,” he said. “And I think those are the issues that will decide this election. Not grand juries and counties, but records of the sitting [Biden] administration.”
Mr. Graham stated that the four indictments against President Trump have “made him stronger.”
He later added that being named in the grand jury report made him “totally surprised.”
