It’s unclear how much the former New York mayor and Trump lawyer will be willing to say now that his lawyers have been told he is a target of the investigation. The inquest will be held behind closed doors on Wednesday because the special jury process is secret. But Giuliani’s appearance is another major step in a rapidly escalating investigation that has ensnared several Trump allies and brought heightened scrutiny to the desperate and ultimately failed efforts to overturn Democrat Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. It is one of several investigations into Trump’s actions in office as he lays the groundwork for another term in the White House in 2024. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis launched her investigation following the revelation of a remarkable January 2, 2021 phone call between Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. In the call, Trump suggested that Raffensperger could “find” the exact number of votes needed to overturn the election results in Georgia. Trump has denied any wrongdoing. He described the call as “perfect”. Willis last month filed petitions to compel the deposition of seven Trump associates and advisers. He also said he is considering subpoenaing Trump himself to testify, and the former president has hired a legal team in Atlanta that includes a prominent criminal defense attorney. In seeking Giuliani’s testimony, Willis noted that he was both Trump’s personal attorney and lead attorney for his 2020 campaign. He recalled in a report how Giuliani and others appeared at a state Senate committee meeting in late 2020 and presented a video that Giuliani said showed election officials producing “suitcases” of illegal ballots from unknown sources outside the view of election observers. Allegations of fraud were shot down by Georgia election officials within 24 hours. But Giuliani continued to make statements in public and at subsequent legislative hearings alleging widespread election fraud using the debunked video, Willis noted in her testimony. Two of the election officials seen in the video, Ruby Freeman and Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, said they faced relentless harassment online and in person after it was shown at a Dec. 3 Georgia legislative hearing at which Giuliani appeared. At another hearing a week later, Giuliani said the video showed the women “sneaking around the USB ports as if they were vials of heroin or cocaine.” They were actually passing a candy. Willis wrote in court that Giuliani’s appearance and testimony were “part of a multi-state, coordinated plan by the Trump Campaign to influence the results of the November 2020 elections in Georgia and elsewhere.” Willis also wrote in a petition seeking the testimony of attorney Kenneth Chesebro that he worked with Giuliani to coordinate and execute a scheme to have Georgia Republicans serve as bogus electors. These 16 people signed a certificate falsely stating that Trump won the 2020 presidential election and declared themselves to be “duly elected and qualified” electors of the state, even though Biden had won the state and a roll of Democratic electors had been certified. Giuliani’s lawyers tried to delay his appearance before the special judiciary committee, saying he was unable to fly because of heart stent surgery in early July. But Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney, who oversees the special jury, said during a hearing last week that Giuliani was supposed to be in Atlanta on Wednesday and could travel by bus, car or train if necessary. Other Trump allies have also been drawn into the investigation. Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, received a subpoena ordering him to appear for testimony on August 23. Graham contested this subpoena, citing his immunity as a member of Congress. A judge on Monday rejected that argument and said he must testify. Graham said he would appeal. Willis has said she is interested in conversations between Graham and Raffensberger about the results in Georgia in the weeks after the election.
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