Rudy Giuliani, Lindsey Graham Subpoenaed in Trump Election Meddling Probe
Ryan Bort Rolling Stone
Rudy Giuliani, attorney for former President Donald Trump, conducts a news conference at the Republican National Committee, on lawsuits regarding the outcome of the 2020 presidential election on Thursday, Nov. 19, 2020. (photo: CQ-Roll Call,/Getty Images)
06 July 22
The Fulton County grand jury’s probe appears to be closing in on the former president, who pressured Georgia’s top election official to “find” the votes needed to overturn the 2020 election
John Eastman, Cleta Mitchell, Kenneth Chesbro, and Jenna Ellis — all of which were involved in Trump’s scheme to overturn the election results — also received subpoenas. So too did Sen. Lindsey Graham, as well as Jacki Pick Deason, a right-wing attorney and podcast host.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution notes that Giuliani testified before Georgia lawmakers three times following the 2020 election, and that the ludicrous, unfounded claims about election fraud during that testimony has drawn the interest of the grand jury. Graham allegedly called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger following the 2020 election to ask if he had the power to toss out legally cast absentee votes.
The subpoenas, which were issued on Tuesday, come as the grand jury has been hearing testimony from a “parade” of witnesses, as the Journal-Constitution put it, many of whom have connections to Trump.
Georgia, which narrowly voted for President Biden in the state’s first Democratic turn in decades, has since become a hotbed of election conspiracy theorizing. The close result led Trump and his team to aggressively push officials to reconsider the race, with the former president famously telling Raffensperger to “find” the votes needs to give him the election. Fani Willis — the district attorney of Fulton County, which encompasses most of Atlanta — has been investigation the potential election meddling, and in January received permission to seat a special grand jury to assist with the effort. The grand jury was impaneled in May.
The subpoenas issued on Tuesday indicate that effort is not only heating up, but closing in on the former president.
