Judge mulls rules for lawmaker special grand jury questions
ATLANTA (AP) — A judge is considering what guidelines to place on questions that can be asked of Georgia state lawmakers called before a special grand jury in an investigation into whether former President Donald Trump and others illegally tried to influence the 2020 election in the state.
Lawyers representing a former state lawmaker and the state's lieutenant governor had asked the judge to quash subpoenas for them to testify before the panel, citing legislative privilege and immunity. If he wouldn't agree to that, they said in a motion filed earlier this week, they urged him to set guidelines for the questioning.
“I'm not quashing any of these subpoenas, but I do want to provide a framework so it's not every third question we're calling a timeout,” said Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney, who's overseeing the special grand jury, at a hearing Friday.
He said he would provide that guidance in a written ruling. He also said he would make sure he's available on days when state lawmakers are called before the panel to address any conflicts that arise.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis opened the investigation early last year and in January of this year took the unusual step of requesting a special purpose grand jury. She wrote in a letter to the county superior court chief judge that her team believes the 2020 general election “was subject to possible criminal disruptions” and is looking into “any coordinated attempts to unlawfully alter the outcome of the 2020 elections in this state.”
The special grand jury was seated in May and began hearing from witnesses in June. Top state elected officials, including Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Attorney General Chris Carr, have already appeared before the special grand jury. At least three...