Thu. Mar 28th, 2024

Georgia special grand jury wants multiple indictments for Trump’s efforts to overturn 2020 election: ‘It’s not rocket science’<!-- wp:html --><p>Now-former President Donald Trump in the White House Oval Office.</p> <p class="copyright">BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images</p> <p>The Georgia special grand jury that probed efforts to overturn the 2020 election wanted criminal charges against multiple people.<br /> Its forewoman told The New York Times "it's not rocket science" when asked if Trump was on the list.<br /> Fulton County DA Fani Willis must now decide whether to bring criminal indictments to a regular grand jury.</p> <p>The special grand jury that investigated former President Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia recommended multiple indictments, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/21/us/trump-georgia-grand-jury-indictments.html">its forewoman told the New York Times</a>.</p> <p>"You're not going to be shocked. It's not rocket science," the forewoman, Emily Kohrs, answered when asked if the jury recommended charging Trump personally.</p> <p>Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-indictment-georgia-fulton-county-steps-2022-12">empaneled the special grand jury between May and January</a>. The jurors, based in an Atlanta courthouse, investigated Trump pressuring Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensper to "find 11,780 votes" need to flip the state's total from now-President Joe Biden. They also investigated the plot by state Republican party officials to send fake electors to Congress on January 6, 2021, and try to make Trump the victor of the 2020 election he lost in reality.</p> <p>Over the course of several months, the jurors heard from 75 witnesses, though not from Trump himself. The special grand jury did not have the power to bring criminal indictments but created a report with charging recommendations. It's now up to Willis to decide whether to refer the report to an ordinary grand jury to bring criminal charges.</p> <p>The special grand jury's report remains secret, though <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/georgia-special-grand-jury-some-witnesses-committed-perjury-2023-2">recently unsealed portions</a> show jurors recommended Willis consider charging witnesses they believed lied in their testimony. Kohrs told the Times on Tuesday that there were multiple people recommended for indictments.</p> <p>"It is not a short list," she said.</p> <p>Kohrs said the special grand jury's findings, if made public, would not be surprising to anyone who had been following the case.</p> <p>"I will tell you that if the judge releases the recommendations, it is not going to be some giant plot twist," she told the Times. "You probably have a fair idea of what may be on there. I'm trying very hard to say that delicately."</p> <p>Kohrs didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. In <a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-new-york-city-only-on-ap-donald-trump-georgia-266e28c4e47e54731b233e0f770f6729" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an interview with the Associated Press</a>, which first named Kohrs as the jury forewoman, she said a number of witnesses used the Fifth Amendment to avoid answering questions, and that some who had immunity deals were more cooperative.</p> <p>She told the Associated Press her notes were shredded, but that she was able to salvage sketches she made of two witnesses, US Senator Lindsey Graham, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/supreme-court-rejects-lindsey-grahams-plea-to-block-georgia-subpoena-2022-11">who fought the subpoena all the way to the Supreme Cour</a>t, and former Vice President Mike Pence's chief of staff, Marc Short.</p> <p>Rudy Giuliani, who assisted Trump's efforts to overturn the election results, avoided answering questions by invoking privilege, Kohrs told the Associated Press, but was funny and "genuinely seemed to consider" whether the privilege was warranted.</p> <div class="read-original">Read the original article on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/georgia-special-grand-jury-wants-multiple-indictments-trump-investigation-2023-2">Business Insider</a></div><!-- /wp:html -->

Now-former President Donald Trump in the White House Oval Office.

The Georgia special grand jury that probed efforts to overturn the 2020 election wanted criminal charges against multiple people.
Its forewoman told The New York Times “it’s not rocket science” when asked if Trump was on the list.
Fulton County DA Fani Willis must now decide whether to bring criminal indictments to a regular grand jury.

The special grand jury that investigated former President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia recommended multiple indictments, its forewoman told the New York Times.

“You’re not going to be shocked. It’s not rocket science,” the forewoman, Emily Kohrs, answered when asked if the jury recommended charging Trump personally.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis empaneled the special grand jury between May and January. The jurors, based in an Atlanta courthouse, investigated Trump pressuring Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensper to “find 11,780 votes” need to flip the state’s total from now-President Joe Biden. They also investigated the plot by state Republican party officials to send fake electors to Congress on January 6, 2021, and try to make Trump the victor of the 2020 election he lost in reality.

Over the course of several months, the jurors heard from 75 witnesses, though not from Trump himself. The special grand jury did not have the power to bring criminal indictments but created a report with charging recommendations. It’s now up to Willis to decide whether to refer the report to an ordinary grand jury to bring criminal charges.

The special grand jury’s report remains secret, though recently unsealed portions show jurors recommended Willis consider charging witnesses they believed lied in their testimony. Kohrs told the Times on Tuesday that there were multiple people recommended for indictments.

“It is not a short list,” she said.

Kohrs said the special grand jury’s findings, if made public, would not be surprising to anyone who had been following the case.

“I will tell you that if the judge releases the recommendations, it is not going to be some giant plot twist,” she told the Times. “You probably have a fair idea of what may be on there. I’m trying very hard to say that delicately.”

Kohrs didn’t immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment. In an interview with the Associated Press, which first named Kohrs as the jury forewoman, she said a number of witnesses used the Fifth Amendment to avoid answering questions, and that some who had immunity deals were more cooperative.

She told the Associated Press her notes were shredded, but that she was able to salvage sketches she made of two witnesses, US Senator Lindsey Graham, who fought the subpoena all the way to the Supreme Court, and former Vice President Mike Pence’s chief of staff, Marc Short.

Rudy Giuliani, who assisted Trump’s efforts to overturn the election results, avoided answering questions by invoking privilege, Kohrs told the Associated Press, but was funny and “genuinely seemed to consider” whether the privilege was warranted.

Read the original article on Business Insider

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