Lindsey Graham must testify before Fulton grand jury, Judge said

Aug 15, 2022

RawNews1st – A federal judge Monday ordered Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) to testify before a Fulton County, Ga. grand jury that is probing former President Donald Trump and his allies’ attempts to overturn election results, after Graham had argued his position as a senator should exempt him from appearing before the panel.

U.S. District Judge Leigh Martin May said Monday there were “extraordinary circumstances and a special need” for Graham’s testimony on alleged attempts to “influence or disrupt the lawful administration of Georgia’s 2020 elections,” according to the ruling.

Graham’s lawyers had argued a provision in the Constitution gave him absolute protection against being probed about legislative efforts, but a judge said the provision did not cover the grand jury’s probe.

The ruling comes after a Georgia judge ordered Trump’s former personal attorney Rudy Giuliani to testify next month before the same grand jury, after the former New York mayor had been attempting to push back his testimony because of medical issues he said impeded him from traveling.

Giuliani had also attempted to challenge the Fulton County grand jury subpoena for him to testify, but lost the bid after failing to show up at a hearing about the challenge

A spokesman for Graham said the senator would appeal, which he had vowed to do before Monday’s decision during a press conference last week.“This is ridiculous,” Graham said. “This weaponization of the law needs to stop. So I will use the courts.

We will go as far as we need to go and do whatever needs to be done to make sure that people like me can do their jobs without fear of some county prosecutor coming after you.”