Georgia officials said law enforcement is investigating threats made against members of the Fulton County grand jury that indicted former President Donald Trump after the jurors’ personal information was reportedly posted online.
This week, Fulton County Attorney General Fani Willis charged President Trump and 18 others with a litany of alleged crimes in connection with their efforts to challenge the results of the 2020 election.
Ms. Willis charged each defendant under Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, a law drafted to fight the mafia, with the indictment alleging that President Trump and his co-conspirators did “constitute a criminal organization.”
President Trump and his co-defendants have denied any wrongdoing, with the former president accusing Ms. Willis of waging a politically-motivated legal battle meant to bury his chances of winning the 2024 presidential race.
Amid backlash to the latest indictment against President Trump, a number of the Fulton County grand jurors were doxxed—including their photos and addresses—and threats were made against them, according to multiple media outlets.
‘We Take This Matter Very Seriously’
Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat’s office said in a statement obtained by The Epoch Times that it is “aware that personal information of members of the Fulton County Grand Jury is being shared on various platforms” and that the matter is under investigation.“As the lead agency, our investigators are working closely with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to track down the origin of threats in Fulton County and other jurisdictions,” the sheriff’s office stated.
“We take this matter very seriously and are coordinating with our law enforcement partners to respond quickly to any credible threat and to ensure the safety of those individuals who carried out their civic duty,” it added.
Some have questioned why the names of the jurors were listed on the indictment, but Mary Smith, president of the American Bar Association, said in a statement obtained by The Epoch Times that this is standard practice in Georgia.“Georgia state law, with the goal of transparency, requires the names of grand jurors to be listed in an indictment, even in high-profile cases,” she said, adding that “it is against the law to harass, stalk and threaten.”
Ms. Smith said that the American Bar Association is calling for government leaders to denounce threats against the grand jury and to investigate the matter.
“The civic-minded members of the Georgia grand jury performed their duty to support our democracy,” Ms. Smith stated. “It is unconscionable that their lives should be upended and safety threatened for being good citizens.”
Charges
The Fulton County grand jury has leveled a total of 41 charges against President Trump and 18 co-defendants.The indictment of President Trump with 13 counts, including violation of the state’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer, conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree, and conspiracy to commit filing of false documents.
Alongside the former president, 18 others were indicted, including his former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, his former attorneys Rudy Giuliani, Jenna Ellis, and attorney Sidney Powell.
Ms. Willis said at a press conference on Monday that the goal of the defendants was to allow President Trump to “seize the presidential term of office” after Jan. 20, 2021.
The grand jury issued arrest warrants for the defendants, but Ms. Willis said she is allowing them to voluntarily surrender by no later than noon on Friday, Aug. 25.
President Trump’s campaign released a statement alleging the charges are a politically-motivated attack by Ms. Willis.
Georgia Republican state Sen. Colton Moore has demanded a special emergency legislative session to investigate the actions of Ms. Willis, in a move that Mr. Moore said could lead to her impeachment.
In a letter to Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, the Republican lawmaker said that, in his opinion, “an emergency exists in the affairs of the state, requiring a special session to be convened” under Georgia law “for all purposes, to include, without limitation, the review and response to the actions of Fani Willis.”
In a statement obtained by The Epoch Times, Mr. Moore said he’s “calling on my colleagues in the Georgia legislature to join me in calling for an emergency session to investigate and review her actions and determine if they warrant impeachment.”
Ms. Willis’ office declined to comment, while Mr. Kemp’s spokesperson dismissed the special session as pointless.
