Georgia Judge Orders Partial Release of Trump Grand Jury Report

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Facts

• A partial report from a Georgia special grand jury investigating efforts by former Pres. Trump and his colleagues to overturn his 2020 election loss will be released later this week on orders from Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney.¹
• The report’s introduction, conclusion, and a portion regarding worries from the jurors that witnesses had lied under oath, will become public Thursday.¹
• The judge’s order, which comes three weeks after a hearing that featured prosecutors trying to keep the report secret — and media organizations requesting its release — will keep secret any recommendations about who should or should not be prosecuted by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to protect due process.²
• Willis convened the special grand jury, which lacked the power to issue indictments, to probe whether Trump and others acted to “disrupt the lawful administration of the 2020 elections in the State of Georgia and to prepare a report on whether anyone should be prosecuted for such potential crimes.”³
• With full subpoena power, the 23-member special grand jury heard from dozens of witnesses between June and December 2022, including Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, US Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), and Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani.⁴
• Willis’ probe was sparked by revelations about a January 2021 phone call Trump made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger asking him to “find” more votes that would make Trump the winner. The investigation has expanded to include claims Trump has made about election fraud, and the alleged plot to send fake electors to Washington, DC.⁵

Sources: ¹Associated Press, ²FOX News, ³NBC, ⁴Washington Post and ⁵CNN.

Narratives

• Pro-Trump narrative, as provided by Daily wire. Enough is enough. Willis convened this special grand jury nine months ago, and she can’t keep dragging the former president through this without revealing what she does or doesn’t have on him. There was nothing wrong with Trump’s initial call to Raffensperger, and if the special grand jury has something else on Trump or anyone from his inner circle, it’s time to make it public.
• Democratic narrative, as provided by The daily beast. The judge is striking just the right balance by protecting most of Willis’ potential prosecutions while revealing that, at the very least, many in Trump’s inner circle might’ve lied under oath — which is a crime. Those pushing for a full release of the report will find out in due time how Trump, and those around him, acted criminally to stop the lawful passing of the presidency.