Trump Questions ‘Credibility’ of Fulton County After Grand Jury Recommended Charges for Lt. Gov. Jones, Former Georgia Senators

Former President Donald Trump released a statement expressing further doubts in Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, and her office, after the grand jury report for the racketeering case against him was made public. The report revealed that, in addition to the 19 charged by Willis, charges were recommended for additional 20 people, including Georgia Lt. Governor Burt Jones, former Republican Georgia Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC).

Trump wrote that the grand jury report has “zero credibility and badly taints” Willis, and her case against him, in a post on Truth Social. The report, according to Trump, “undermines the credibility of the findings, and badly hurts the Great State of Georgia.”

The grand jury report, which does not contain the evidence prosecutors presented to jurors, reveals the grand jury recommended charges for Jones for his involvement in the plan to present a Republican set of electoral college electors to aid in the former president’s 2020 election contest on December 14, 2020.

Jones (pictured above, middle) has not been indicted, and earlier this year Willis was ordered not to include Jones in prosecution due to a conflict of interest. She hosted a fundraiser for Jones’ former Democratic opponent during the 2022 elections, prompting a judge to forbid his investigation by her office.

Though Willis was prohibited from bringing a case against Jones, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported last month that the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia filed a motion to unseal the grand jury report so it could assign a prosecutor to the case.

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When the August indictments went public, Jones described them as “disturbing” and “sickening” in an interview with Fox News Digital, also attesting to the innocence of the Republican electors, and calling the prosecution a “self-serving political act” on behalf of Willis. The Georgia Star News contacted Jones for comment about being included in the indictment recommendations, and did not receive a response prior to press time.

Aside from recommending indictments against Loeffler, Perdue, and Graham, who were all members of the U.S. Senate in 2020, the grand jury also recommended indicting Trump’s former national security advisor, Michael Flynn, and his longtime advisor Boris Epshteyn, the political strategist.

Others who the grand jury recommended charges for, but were not charged by Willis, are Lin Wood, Jacki Pick, William Ligon, Cleta Mitchell, Kurt Hillburt, Alex Kauffman, Joseph Brennan, Vicki Consiglio, Carolyn Fisher, Gloria Godwin, Mark Hennessy, Mark Amick, John Downey, Brad Carver, and C.B. Yadav.

Unlike typical trial juries, which require unanimous agreement to convict a defendant, the grand jury convened in Fulton County seemingly required just nine of 23 votes to move forward with prosecution, a possibility reported by Lawfare Media last year, though the outlet described it as a “highly unlikely scenario.” That outlet noted that a legal case could also be made for either 12 grand jurors, or a simple majority, to be required to recommend charges.

The grand jury report insists that Fulton County prosecutors and staff were “hardworking” but “had nothing to do with the recommendations,” and invited Willis to seek additional indictments “where she finds sufficient cause.”

Lawyers for two of the defendants, Powell and Chesebro, appeared for the first, live-streamed hearing in the case last Thursday, when Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee heard arguments regarding Powell and Chesebro’s request for sever their cases from each other. Judge McAfee ultimately ruled against their motion, and lawyers will be back in court on Tuesday to present arguments regarding severing a possible joint case against Powell and Chesebro from the other 17 defendants.

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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Georgia Star News and a reporter for the Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].

 

 

 

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2 Thoughts to “Trump Questions ‘Credibility’ of Fulton County After Grand Jury Recommended Charges for Lt. Gov. Jones, Former Georgia Senators”

  1. Pacifino

    Everyone should question Fulton County. stacy abrams claimed the election was stolen from her but she is a black democrat so her claims were not a problem. Fulton is run by black democrats and Trump is neither, so the nation can expect his lynching in Atlanta

  2. BBak

    Such an embarrassment to the majority of Georgians. I am truly ashamed of Atlanta!

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