Georgia Judge Approves Partial Release Of Trump Special Grand Jury Report

DALTON, GA - JANUARY 4: President Donald J. Trump speaks in support of Republican incumbent senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue during a rally on Monday, January 4, 2021 in Dalton, Georgia. (Photo by Jabin Botsf... DALTON, GA - JANUARY 4: President Donald J. Trump speaks in support of Republican incumbent senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue during a rally on Monday, January 4, 2021 in Dalton, Georgia. (Photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images) MORE LESS
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Yet another long-awaited report into President Trump’s 2020 election subversion attempt will be partially released this week.

Three sections of a special grand jury report into Trump’s effort to reverse his 2020 loss in Georgia will be made public on Thursday, per a Monday order from Fulton County District Judge Robert McBurney.

The report was compiled by a Fulton County special grand jury that spent nearly all of 2022 investigating the election subversion attempt. It came as part of an investigation launched by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis into Trump’s efforts to reverse Biden’s win in the state.

Willis argued at a hearing against the release of the report, and said that her decision on indictments in the case was “imminent.”

McBurney ordered three parts of the final report to be published: the introduction, conclusion, and one section in which jurors discussed their “concern that some witnesses may have lied under oath during their testimony to the grand jury.”

The judge added that the report does not name any of those suspected of lying to the grand jury.

“While publication may not be convenient for the pacing of the District Attorney’s investigation, the compelling public interest in these proceedings and the unquestionable value and importance of transparency require their release,” McBurney wrote.

Most of the report will remain under seal.

McBurney ruled that questions of grand jury secrecy — as well as an interest in protecting the identities of those not charged — outweighed the public interest value in learning what investigating jurors uncovered.

The grand jury issued a series of recommendations to Willis on who to charge. The panel heard from more than 75 witnesses during its investigation, Willis said at a hearing before McBurney last month on whether to release the report.

A coalition of national and local media organizations argued in favor of the report’s release at the hearing, which Willis opposed. At one point, McBurney suggested that much of the material in the report was similar to that compiled in the House Jan. 6 Committee’s report, albeit with more of a Georgia focus.

McBurney also wrote that the report includes a “roster of who should (or should not) be indicted, and for what, in relation to the conduct (and aftermath) of the 2020 general election in Georgia.”

Read McBurney’s order here:

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Notable Replies

  1. First

    This is going to be fun to watch…

  2. Avatar for zandru zandru says:

    Here’s hoping that all the good parts have not been “redacted.”

    Apropos of nothing, there’s a principle that, if an attorney-client discussion involves the lawyer in illegal acts, it isn’t “privileged.” It would make sense if that were applied to so-called “Executive Privilege.”

  3. Avatar for mrf mrf says:

    The term “Modified limited hangout” from the Nixon era comes to mind.

  4. If DA Willis wanted this information embargoed because an indictment is imminent, and the judge sets a release date of Thursday, is it reasonable to conclude that an indictment will be unsealed on Thursday?

    One can hope…!

  5. Willis argued at a hearing against the release of the report, and said that her decision on indictments in the case was “imminent.”

    The term is “shit or get off the pot”.

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