Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis | Facebook/Fani Willis
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis | Facebook/Fani Willis
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis received approval on Jan. 24 for a special grand jury to investigate possible election fraud by former President Donald Trump.
Willis is investigating Trump’s alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia. The Superior Court of Fulton County granted Willis’ request a week after she filed it, NPR reported.
A focal point of the investigation is an alleged phone call between Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.
"What this Civil Special Grand Jury should be looking into is not my perfect phone call, but the large scale voter fraud that took place in Georgia," Trump said in response to Willis’ request, NPR reported.
Fox 5 Atlanta reported that Trump insisted "numerous lawyers for both sides" were on the call.
Willis said that some witnesses and prospective witnesses, such as Raffensperger himself, have refused to cooperate without a subpoena. The special grand jury possesses the ability to subpoena and to obtain documents, NPR reported.
"It's the most serious thing you can ask for," Georgia State law professor Clark Cunningham told Fox 5 Atlanta. "The Grand Jury is being asked to investigate whether a crime has been committed."
Willis’ letter to the Superior Court chief judge said a special grand jury is necessary because the investigation will be a thorough, drawn-out process, Fox 5 Atlanta reported.
"The DA is a very careful and professional person, she is not, at this point going to make a statement about whether there is evidence to convict someone or even indict them," Cunningham said.