The Georgia special grand jury that heard evidence on former President Donald Trump and his allies’ efforts to overturn the 2020 election recommended even more people be indicted than prosecutors eventually charged—including Republican senators—as the final report was unsealed Friday following months of secrecy.
President Donald Trump shakes hands with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) during an event about judicial ... [+]
The final report of the special grand jury in Fulton County, Georgia, that heard evidence regarding Trump and his allies trying to overturn the 2020 election—but did not bring charges themselves—was unsealed Friday, after prosecutors previously fought to keep most of the report private until charges in the case were brought last month.
The report reveals a majority of jurors recommended dozens of people be charged in the probe, while only 19 people were ultimately charged after a regular grand jury heard the case (as the special grand jury couldn't bring charges directly themselves).
Among the 21 people who the special grand jury recommended be indicted, but ultimately weren’t, are Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), former Sens. David Perdue (R-Ga.) and Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.), attorney Cleta Mitchell, former Trump advisor Michael Flynn, far-right attorney Lin Wood and Trump advisor Boris Epshteyn.
- That’s how many charges were ultimately brought against the 19 defendants who were charged in Fulton County by the regular grand jury.
The special grand jury was convened in May 2022 to hear evidence as part of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ investigation into Trump and his allies’ efforts to overturn the election. As a special grand jury, the jurors could not actually vote on indictments themselves, but rather produced a final report recommending indictments, which Willis then used to make the case to a regular grand jury that actually brought charges against the defendants. The special grand jury was dissolved in January after producing their final report—which was based on interviews with 75 witnesses—but only limited portions of the report were released, as Willis argued it wouldn’t be fair to those indicted in the probe to release the full report before they were charged. The portions released in February said only that the grand jury recommended some witnesses be indicted for perjury, and revealed that the grand jury found “by unanimous vote” that there was no widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election that justified Trump’s efforts to overturn it. The regular grand jury then voted in August to indict the 19 defendants who were ultimately charged as part of the probe, with prosecutors alleging they constituted a criminal racketeering enterprise who unlawfully conspired to overturn the vote count.
This story is breaking and will be updated.