Rudy Giuliani ordered to appear in Georgia Trump investigation
Rudy Giuliani has been ordered to appear before a special grand jury in Georgia investigating former President Trump's behavior after losing the 2020 election. Giuliani, a former New York City mayor who was an attorney for Trump, was instrumental in Trump's failed efforts to overturn the election in Georgia and other states.
A notice filed Wednesday by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who is overseeing the special grand jury in Atlanta, indicates Giuliani has been ordered to appear on Aug. 9. Willis wrote that Giuliani failed to appear at a July 13 hearing in New York City where he would have had an opportunity to contest the order to appear.
Robert Costello, an attorney for Giuliani, did not immediately reply to a request for comment. On July 14, the day after Giuliani failed to appear, Costello wrote in an email to CBS News, "I understand that Mr. Giuliani has received a subpoena but I haven't seen it yet."
Willis petitioned the judge overseeing the panel in early July to issue a certificate determining that Giuliani is a material witness to the investigation. Certificates were also issued to South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham and other Trump allies.
The certificate naming Giuliani as a material witness noted his appearance at a Georgia state Senate hearing in December 2020. Serving as Trump's personal attorney, Giuliani presented allegations of voter fraud that were quickly debunked, yet he continued to repeat them publicly, the certificate said.
"There is evidence that the Witness's appearance and testimony at the hearing was part of a multi-state, coordinated plan by the Trump Campaign to influence the results of the November 2020 election in Georgia and elsewhere," the certificate said.
In a filing Tuesday, Willis indicated that 16 false electors have been informed they could face criminal charges.
President Biden won Georgia in 2020 by a narrow margin, and Republican election officials in the state have repeatedly stated and testified that allegations of widespread voter fraud are baseless.
Trump pressured Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and other officials to "find" enough votes so he would win, according to a recording of a phone call between Trump and Raffensperger that CBS News obtained last year. During the call on Jan. 2, 2021, the president told Raffensperger, "All I want to do is this. I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have. Because we won the state."
The special grand jury was empaneled in January at the request of Willis, the district attorney. The investigation includes the call between Raffensperger and Trump, and the secretary of state was called to testify before the grand jury in June. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has also agreed to deliver a sworn recorded statement to the grand jury on July 25.