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Rudy Giuliani Ordered to Testify In Georgia Grand Jury Probe Into Election Claims

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OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.


Rudy Giuliani has been thrust back into the spotlight, though this time through no fault of his own.

The former mayor of the Big Apple has been ordered by a New York judge to provide testimony before a special grand jury in Georgia that is hearing evidence regarding claims of alleged 2020 election interference in the state by former President Donald Trump and others, according to NBC News, which reviewed court filings.

The order comes after Giuliani, who served as Trump’s personal lawyer in the latter part of the former president’s term, refused to appear at a July 13 hearing before the New York judge to challenge a subpoena that sought his testimony in the probe.

NBC News adds:

Giuliani was subpoenaed earlier this month as a “material witness” by the grand jury called by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to investigate any “coordinated attempts to unlawfully alter the outcome of the 2020 elections.” The subpoena said Giuliani made statements at legislative hearings in Georgia falsely claiming that there had been “widespread voter fraud” in the state.

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In a filing in Fulton County Superior Court on Wednesday, Willis said Giuliani has been ordered to appear before the grand jury on August 9 “and on any such other dates as this court may order.”

“There is evidence that [Giuliani’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 subpoena noted.

In addition to Giuliani, the grand jury has also issued subpoenas to other members of Trump’s legal team. It’s not clear who has been called to testify, when, or if those individuals also plan to challenge their subpoenas.

Meanwhile, a Fulton County judge has also ordered Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) to provide testimony to the same grand jury on Aug. 2 after his attorneys initially hinted that he would not comply with their subpoena as well.

The subpoena is seeking information regarding phone calls he reportedly made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and members of his staff to inquire about the 2020 election results.

In addition, Rep. Jody Hice (R-Ga.), an ally of the former president who voted to reject Georgia’s election results after they were certified, is also battling against a subpoena to provide the grand jury with testimony.

“Meanwhile, nearly a dozen of Georgia’s false presidential electors revealed they’ve been subpoenaed to appear before the grand jury as well, according to a court filing. An attorney for Willis said in a separate filing that all 16 of the false electors have been notified they are targets of her investigation,” NBC News reported.

According to the Greeneville News:

— Graham placed at least two phone calls to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in the weeks following the 2020 election seeking reexamination of absentee ballots to “explore the possibility of a more favorable outcome for former President Donald Trump,” according to Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.

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— In a court filing last week, Graham said he wasn’t seeking to interfere in the election when he asked Georgia officials to reexamine certain absentee ballots.

— More than 100 potential witnesses were identified by prosecutors in the Georgia investigation led by Willis.

Raffensperger provided the grand jury with several hours of testimony last month. Part of the focus was on a January 2021 phone call from Trump in which he allegedly attempted to convince Raffensperger to overturn the election results.

Graham attorneys Daniel and Matt Austin have said, “Graham is neither a subject nor target of the investigation, simply a witness.”

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“Sen. Graham was well within his rights to discuss with state officials the processes and procedures around administering elections,” his attorneys said in a statement.

CNBC reported on Wednesday that after initially pushing back, Graham agreed to accept the subpoena, but he may still fight against having to appear, but in a Georgia court.

“Senator Graham has agreed to accept service of a subpoena for testimony from the Fulton County Special Purpose Grand Jury in Atlanta, Georgia, without waiving any challenges or any applicable privilege and/or immunity,” his lawyers wrote in a court filing.

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