Special Grand Jury in Georgia Wraps Up Trump Probe, Issues Report

The court will debate whether to release the report publicly

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis speaks during a news conference at the Fulton County Courthouse in downtown Atlanta on Aug. 13, 2021. Alyssa Pointer/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP

A special grand jury in Georgia investigating whether former President Donald Trump and his allies violated the law by attempting to interfere in election results following the 2020 election has finished its work and a judge ordered the panel dissolved.

The special grand jury issued its final report and findings after many months of witness testimony, according to an order issued on Jan. 9 by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert C.I. McBurney (pdf).

The question remains whether to publish the report, as the special grand jury recommended, the judge wrote. A hearing is scheduled for Jan. 24 in Atlanta to determine whether the report will be released to the public.

The dissolution of the special grand jury also moves the investigation to the next step, which is to consider possible criminal charges against the former president and his allies. The decision on whether to seek an indictment from a regular grand jury rests with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.

Special grand juries in Georgia can’t issue indictments but instead can issue a final report that recommends certain actions.

Investigation’s Beginnings

Willis opened the investigation in early 2021 after a recording surfaced between the former president and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensberger in which Trump suggested he and others could “find the votes” to overturn the Georgia loss.

She requested the special grand jury in January 2022.

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger speaks at a press conference at the state Capitol in Atlanta on Nov. 6, 2020. Dustin Chambers/Reuters

Trump said in a statement that Willis “is basing her potential claims on trying to find a tiny word or phrase (that isn’t there) during an absolutely PERFECT phone call, concerning widespread Election Fraud in Georgia.”

He further noted that “many lawyers and other officials who were knowingly on the line” during his call with Raffensperger had “no problems with the call, and didn’t voice any objections or complaints about anything that I said on the call which could be construed as inappropriate.”

Trump called the probe a “strictly political witch hunt.”

The special grand jury, over about a six-month period, heard testimony from dozens of witnesses, including numerous close Trump associates and assorted high-ranking Georgia state officials.

Testimonies from several high-profile Trump allies were ordered to testify, including Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Trump attorney John Eastman, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, and former campaign lawyer Sidney Powell.

In a court filing at the time, Willis defended her investigation by citing its relevance to the state (pdf). She cited meetings between Meadows and other Trump allies touching on “allegations of voter fraud and the certification of the Electoral College votes from Georgia and other states.”

Willis worked with the special grand jury to probe attempts by Trump and his allies to convince officials in Georgia to investigate possible election fraud.

In a letter to a Fulton County Superior Court judge in January 2022, Willis said her investigation was based on information that indicated “a reasonable probability” that the election in Georgia was “subject to possible criminal disruptions.”

Joseph Lord, Katabella Roberts, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.