Georgia grand jury investigating Trump raises perjury charges

By 
 February 17, 2023

A special grand jury in Georgia summoned to weigh charges against former President Trump released a report that alleged perjury by some of the witnesses.  

The grand jury was impaneled by Fani Willis, a prosecutor in heavily Democratic Fulton County, last year to determine whether Trump or his allies should be charged with interfering in the 2020 presidential election.

Perjury raised in Trump case

The special grand jury interviewed Republican state officials in Georgia, allies of Trump such as Senator Lindsey Graham (R-Sc.) and election workers, among others.

A judge allowed parts of the report to be released Monday, but he is keeping other parts secret for now, citing due process. The full report includes charging recommendations for Willis to follow, the judge said.

In the parts that were made public, the special grand jury concluded unanimously that "no widespread fraud" took place in the 2020 election and raised the possibility that some witnesses lied under oath.

“The Grand Jury recommends that the District Attorney seek appropriate indictments for such crimes where the evidence is compelling," the report said.

Trump reacts

At the crux of the investigation is a phone conversation in which Trump discussed "finding" votes equivalent to President Biden's narrow margin of victory.

Trump has alleged the election was fraudulent, and he has dismissed Willis' probe as a partisan witch hunt designed to harm him politically.

The former president -- whose home was the target of a dramatic and unprecedented government raid last year -- is running for the White House again in 2024.

He issued a response to the grand jury's report on social media, saying it vindicated him.

Another witch hunt?

Trump also released a statement through a spokesperson, who said Trump "did nothing wrong."

"The President participated in two perfect phone calls regarding election integrity in Georgia, which he is entitled to do — in fact, as President, it was President Trump’s Constitutional duty to ensure election safety, security, and integrity," Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung told Fox News Digital.

While Trump's critics have alleged his efforts to challenge Biden's razor-thin election victory amount to a criminal conspiracy, Willis has stopped short of accusing Trump of wrongdoing -- for now.

President Biden's Justice Department is also moving full speed ahead with a Special Counsel investigation of Trump -- who spent most of his presidency assailed with baseless claims of Russian collusion.

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