Rudy Giuliani appears in court inAtlanta to testify before a special grand jury investigating attempts byformer President Donald Trump It's a schedule. and others sought to reverse his 2020 presidential election loss inGeorgia.
It is unclear how willing the former New York City mayor and Trump attorney will be to speak out now that his attorneys have informed him that he is under investigation. Jury proceedings are confidential, so the hearing will take place behind closed doors on Wednesday.
But Giuliani's appearance is another key step in a rapidly escalating investigation that has pitted several Trump supporters against Democratic Party Joe Biden in his 2020 election. increased scrutiny in a desperate and ultimately unsuccessful effort to overturn the victory of This is his one of several investigations into Trump's behavior during his tenure as he lays the groundwork for his 2024 run for the White House again. A phone call between Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Ravensperger in 2021. In a call, Trump suggested Raffensperger could "find" the exact number of votes needed to overturn the election results in Georgia.
Trump denies wrongdoing . He described the phone as "perfect."
Willis filed a petition last month to compel testimony from seven Trump associates and advisers. She also says she is considering calling Trump himself to testify, and the former president has hired a team of attorneys in Atlanta, including a prominent criminal defense attorney.
Giuliani Asking for testimony, Willis said he was Trump's personal attorney and the lead attorney for the 2020 presidential election.
In her petition, she recalled how Giuliani and others attended his late 2020 state Senate committee meeting, saying that election officials Presented a video of the building of illegal ballot “suitcases” from sources. Election vote watcher. The fraud allegations were debunked by Georgia election officials within 24 hours. Still, Giuliani continued to make statements to the public, claiming in subsequent legislative hearings that election fraud using debunked videos was widespread, Willis noted in her filing. } The two election officials pictured in the video, Ruby Freeman and Wandrea "Shay" Moss, took to the Internet after the video was released at the Georgia legislative hearing on December 3, when Giuliani appeared. But he said he also faced relentless harassment in person. At another hearing a week later, Mr Giuliani said the women were shown surreptitiously past USB ports "as if they were vials of heroin or cocaine". They were actually handing out candy.
Willis said that Giuliani's attendance and testimony at the hearings was "a campaign by the Trump campaign to influence the outcome of his November 2020 election in Georgia and elsewhere." "It is part of the state's adjustment plan," it wrote in court filings.
Willis also wrote in a petition seeking testimony from attorney Kenneth Chesebro that he worked with Giuliani to coordinate and carry out a plan to make Georgia Republicans false electors. These 16 people falsely claimed that Trump had won the 2020 presidential election, and even though Biden won the state and the Democratic electoral rolls were certified, the state's "legitimate have signed a certificate declaring themselves to be “qualified” electors.
Giuliani's lawyers tried to delay his appearance at a special grand jury, saying he was unable to fly because he underwent surgery for a heart stent in early July. .
But Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney, who is overseeing the special grand jury, said at a hearing last week that Giuliani would need to be in Atlanta on Wednesday, and if needed Said you can travel by bus, car or train.
Other Trump allies are also involved in the investigation. South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsay Graham received a subpoena ordering her to appear to testify on August 23. A judge on Monday dismissed the claim, saying he must testify. Graham said he would appeal.
Willis indicated interest in a call between Graham and Raffensberger about the results in Georgia in the weeks following the election.
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Details of investigations related to Donald Trump: https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump
