Majority of Georgia grand jury "believes that perjury may have been committed" in Trump 2020 election probe
A Georgia district attorney on Thursday released some of a special grand jury's report on efforts by former President Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 presidential election. The 23 Georgians who served as grand jurors found that there was not "widespread fraud" that could have overturned the presidential election.
"We find by a unanimous vote that no widespread fraud took place in the Georgia 2020 presidential election that could result in overturning that election," the report said.
However, the report also said that a "majority of the Grand Jury believes that perjury may have been committed by one or more witnesses testifying before it" and recommended that the district attorney seek "appropriate indictments" for crimes where the "evidence is compelling." The jurors "received evidence from or involving 75 witnesses," the report said, the "overwhelming majority of which information was delivered in person under oath."
The grand jury was empaneled in early May 2022, hearing evidence and receiving information from June 1 through December. Its report says that it heard "extensive testimony" on alleged election fraud from poll workers, investigators, technical experts and Georgia state employees and officials, and from "persons still claiming that such fraud took place."
The office of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis was ordered Monday by a judge to release three sections of the lengthy report — the introduction, conclusion and the section in which the grand jury expressed its concern that "some witnesses may have lied under oath during their testimony."
The recommendation for perjury charges was included in the eighth section of the report. The other seven sections could also include recommendations for indictments, but those portions will not be released until after Willis' office makes charging decisions.
The grand jury served as an investigatory body that could recommend charges but could not indict. They recommended in their report that it be released. Fulton County Judge Robert McBurney ruled on Monday that the rest of the report must be kept under wraps until prosecutors complete their investigation.
Media organizations including CBS News had argued that the full report should be made public immediately, but McBurney largely rejected their effort.
Willis' office has indicated in court filings that others have faced scrutiny in the probe, including a group of 16 Georgia Republicans who participated in an alternate elector scheme and former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani.
Read the grand jury report portions released here: