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The 51-year-old Fulton County district attorney will need that kind of tenacity if she decides to bring criminal charges against Trump, who is seeking the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Willis, a Democrat, has taken an aggressive approach in the Trump investigation, subpoenaing some of his allies including Republican U.S. "It doesn't matter if you're rich, poor, Black, white, Democrat or Republican," Willis, who is Black, told CNN last year. Trump, who in November announced another run for the presidency in 2024, has denied wrongdoing and has called Willis a "Radical Left Prosecutor." To assist with the Trump investigation, Willis retained private Atlanta lawyer John Floyd, who wrote a guide on prosecuting state racketeering charges and worked with Willis on the teacher case.

☆ Who is Fani Willis, the Prosecutor at the Center of the Trump Investigation?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Richard Fausset | More About Richard Fausset | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

ATLANTA — Fani T. Willis strode up to a podium in a red dress last year in downtown Atlanta, flanked by an array of dark suits and stone-faced officers in uniform. “If you thought Fulton was a good county to bring your crime to, to bring your violence to, you are wrong,” she said, facing a bank of news cameras. “And you are going to suffer consequences.”Ms Willis is the first Black woman to lead Georgia’s largest district attorney’s office. In her 19 years as a prosecutor, she has led more than 100 jury trials and handled hundreds of murder cases. Since she became chief prosecutor, her office’s conviction rate has stood at close to 90 percent, according to a spokesperson.

Persons: Willis strode, Fulton, ”, Ms Willis, —, Donald J, Trump Organizations: ATLANTA Locations: Atlanta, Georgia

☆ Georgia special grand jury wants criminal charges for witnesses it believes may have lied under oath in Trump probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Sonam Sheth | Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A special grand jury in Georgia found that "one or more witnesses" who appeared before it may have committed perjury. "The Grand Jury recommends that the District Attorney seek appropriate indictments for such crimes where the evidence is compelling." Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis empaneled the grand jury in May 2022 in Atlanta. Willis must now decide whether to bring indictmentsWhile the special grand jury had vast investigative powers, it didn't have the ability to bring indictments. Willis is now tasked with reviewing the special grand jury's report and deciding whether to bring it in front of an ordinary grand jury, which may decide whether to issue criminal charges.

That would be the kind of tenacity Willis, 51, would need if she decides to bring criminal charges against the Republican former president. Willis, a Democrat, has taken an aggressive approach in the Trump investigation, subpoenaing some of his allies including Republican U.S. To assist with the Trump investigation, Willis retained private Atlanta lawyer John Floyd, who wrote a guide on prosecuting state racketeering charges and worked with Willis on the teacher case. Willis told a judge on Jan. 24 that a decision on whether to bring criminal charges was "imminent" after a special grand jury completed its work. Portions of the grand jury's report are expected to be publicly released on Thursday, though any recommendations on criminal charges will remain sealed for now.

☆ Georgia judge to release parts of report on Trump's efforts to overturn election
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Joseph Ax | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File PhotoFeb 13 (Reuters) - Portions of a Georgia special grand jury's report on Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the state's 2020 election should be publicly released, but any recommendations on criminal charges will remain sealed for now, a state judge ruled on Monday. But he declined for now to release the full report, including any recommendations as to whether individuals should be charged. He cited concern about the due process rights of witnesses or potential defendants who were not afforded a full chance to respond to allegations during the grand jury process. Trump was not subpoenaed and did not testify to the grand jury. The special grand jury was convened last year at Willis' request as an investigative tool, in part because it had the authority to subpoena witnesses.

☆ Parts of Georgia grand jury report on election meddling to be released this week
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Georgia this week is set to release portions of a special grand jury's final report on its investigation into possible criminal interference in the state's 2020 general election, including by former President Donald Trump and his allies. Those portions will be made public Thursday, giving the parties involved in the matter time to discuss possible redactions, McBurney wrote in his order. "The compelling public interest in these proceedings and the unquestionable value and importance of transparency require their release," McBurney said, even if that is not "convenient for the pacing" of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis' ongoing investigation. But disclosure of the rest of the report "at this time is not proper," McBurney wrote, citing due process concerns. The judge did, however, confirm that the report will include "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."

☆ Witnesses who testified in front of the Georgia grand jury investigating Trump 'may have lied under oath,' judge says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Witnesses "may have lied under oath" to a Georgia special grand jury investigating Trump's efforts to overturn election results. A judge said he'll release a portion of a secret report detailing the special grand jury's findings. On Monday, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney ordered the release of portions of a special grand jury report, including a section "in which the special purpose grand jury discuss its concern that some witnesses may have lied under oath." In January, the special grand jury completed a report summarizing its findings. Those three portions, McBurney wrote, include the report's introduction, conclusion, and a section where the special grand jury discusses whether witnesses lied under oath.

The investigation focuses in part on a phone call Trump made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, on Jan. 2, 2021. Trump asked Raffensperger to "find" enough votes needed to overturn Trump's election loss in Georgia. Legal experts said Trump may have violated at least three Georgia criminal election laws: conspiracy to commit election fraud, criminal solicitation to commit election fraud and intentional interference with performance of election duties. Both investigations involving Trump are being overseen by Jack Smith, a war crimes prosecutor and political independent. NEW YORK CRIMINAL PROBEAlthough Trump was not charged with wrongdoing, his real estate company was found guilty on Dec. 6 of tax fraud in New York state.

☆ Georgia Judge Hears Arguments on Releasing Grand-Jury Report on Trump Election Probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Jan Wolfe | Cameron Mcwhirter | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Then President Donald Trump rallied supporters at a campaign event in Rome, Ga., in November 2020. ATLANTA—A judge heard arguments Tuesday over whether to publicly release the findings of a special grand jury that investigated former President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis , the state prosecutor in Atlanta leading the investigation, said prosecutorial decisions are imminent and urged the judge to hold off on publicly releasing a report by the special grand jury that summarizes its findings. She said public disclosure at this time would undermine her office’s investigation.

She said the special grand jury heard from a total of 75 witnesses during the course of the investigation. If McBurney ultimately decides to disseminate the recently completed report, as the special grand jury urged, he must also determine whether any parts of it should be redacted. The special grand jury did not have the power to issue indictments, and it will ultimately be up to Willis to decide whether to seek indictments from a regular grand jury. Willis called for the special grand jury last year because it has the authority to issue subpoenas for witnesses to testify. Because we won the state,” Trump said in the call.

It is not clear whether the special grand jury's findings will lead to criminal charges against Trump or anyone else for election interference. Members of the special grand jury voted to recommend the public release of their findings. In a statement on Monday, his Georgia-based legal team said the grand jury never subpoenaed Trump or asked him to appear voluntarily. The special grand jury had subpoena power to gather evidence and compel witness testimony but did not have the authority to issue indictments. If Willis determines that charges are warranted based on the findings, she could seek indictments from a regular grand jury.

☆ Atlanta DA doesn't want the public to see the special grand jury report into Trump's efforts to overturn Georgia's 2020 vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

A special grand jury spent months investigating whether Trump and other officials criminally interfered in Georgia's 2020 election. In an Atlanta courthouse, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said the report, from a special grand jury, should not be released "at this time." McBurney dissolved the special grand jury earlier this month. They typically sit for a maximum of two months, and would review the deposition transcripts and other evidence already gathered by the special grand jury. "That was the approach when she initiated the special grand jury last year."

☆ Georgia DA investigating Trump for 2020 election interference says charging 'decisions are imminent' after grand jury report
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A consortium of media outlets has asked Judge Robert McBurney to make the report public, as the grand jury has recommended. "For future defendants to be treated fairly, it's not appropriate at this time to have this report released," she told McBurney. "We believe the statutory law, the case law, and the constitutional law supports the release of the special grand jury report right now," Clyde told the judge. The grand jury did not have the power to issue indictments in the case. He was never subpoenaed nor asked to come in voluntarily by this grand jury or anyone in the Fulton County District Attorney's Office.

☆ Trump claims lawsuits are a conspiracy to 'keep him busy' ahead of 2024. He's the one making lawsuits political, judges say.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Judges have repeatedly slammed Trump for using lawsuits "to advance a political narrative." "Keep Trump busy, because this is the way you defeat him, to keep him busy with litigation," Trump testified in the deposition, speaking in the third person. US District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks said that Trump has a "pattern of misusing the courts to serve political purposes." Trump's lawyers have to deal with his 2024 runIn the Trump lawsuits that haven't been dismissed, those trials may need to be scheduled around his 2024 campaign events. A trial for Carroll's claims is set for April of this year, and James' lawsuit against Trump is on track for October.

☆ Black rappers call out double standard of using hip-hop lyrics as evidence in rapper Young Thug’s criminal trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Safia Samee Ali | Safia Samee Ali Is A Reporter For Nbc News Digital | Based In Chicago. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +11 min

Authorities had no physical evidence or weapon that linked Phipps to the shooting, and the then 22-year-old had no criminal record. Through her research Kubrin has found bias against rap music and artists, she said, adding that much of that bias is racialized. That means using lyrics from rap music, a historically Black genre, can infect jurors with anti-Black racism regardless of whether the defendant himself is Black, she said. Defending the practiceFulton County prosecutor Fani Willis, whose office is trying the case against Young Thug and other YSL members, has defended using music lyrics in trials. Gavin Newsom signed the Decriminalizing Artistic Expression Act, which made it the first state to restrict the use of rap lyrics as evidence in state court.

The special purpose grand jury is different than a typical grand jury — it submits its findings in a report to Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who then decides whether to present evidence to a grand jury for criminal indictments. Willis called for the special grand jury last year because the panel had the power to issue subpoenas to force witnesses to testify. Because we won the state,” Trump said in the call. Trump has maintained he did nothing wrong in the Raffensperger call and described it as “perfect.”It's unclear when the grand jury report might become public. McBurney's order said the grand jury "certified that it voted to recommend that its report be published."

In an order, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney dissolved the grand jury now that its work is complete and set a Jan. 24 hearing to determine whether the report will be made public. The special grand jury, which was convened at the request of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, had subpoena power but not the ability to issue indictments. Willis will ultimately decide whether to bring charges against Trump or anyone else, though the jury's report could include recommendations. The grand jury heard testimony from numerous state officials, including Georgia Governor Brad Raffensperger, and key Trump advisers such as U.S. The investigation is one of several civil and criminal probes threatening Trump and his inner circle.

☆ A Georgia special grand jury finished its report into Trump's attempts to overturn 2020 election results. Another grand jury has to decide whether to indict him.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Georgia special grand jury finished its report on Donald Trump's alleged 2020 election interference. The special grand jury recommended making its report public. The 26-member special grand jury had the power to subpoena evidence and witnesses, but not to bring indictments. Now, Willis must decide whether to send that report to another grand jury, which will decide whether to bring criminal indictments. Willis has moved swiftly and fought court battles to enforce the grand jury's subpoenas and bring a parade of high-profile witnesses before the special grand jury, including Gov.

A special grand jury in Georgia that has been investigating former President Donald Trump and others for possible crimes related to their efforts to reverse his 2020 election loss in that state has completed its work, according to a court filing. The grand jury, which has been gathering evidence and hearing testimony in Atlanta, has written a final report on its findings. A court filing says that the grand jury voted to recommend that its report be published. Trump also faces a federal criminal investigation into his attempt to overturn the 2020 election, which he lost to President Joe Biden. Willis in January 2022 asked the chief judge of Fulton County to consider her request for empaneling a special purpose grand jury to investigate potential criminal interference in the 2020 election.

☆ Trump-allied lawyers may have told Jan. 6 probe witnesses to give 'false or misleading testimony' to the panel, Jan. 6 committee says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

In one instance, a lawyer allegedly told a witness that they did not need to clarify untruthful testimony. The committee, Lofgren continued, is "concerned that these efforts may have been a strategy to prevent the committee from finding the truth. We don't want to talk about that,'" the report says the lawyer told the witness. The same lawyer also allegedly told the witness that it was not their job to clarify testimony that might not be truthful. So you saying 'I don't recall' is an entirely acceptable response to this.'"

☆ Prosecutors in Georgia are fast approaching a decision on whether to charge Trump. Here's how it would go down.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Over the past year, she empaneled a grand jury and fought court battles to ensure testimony from Gov. Two other high-profile witnesses who fought grand jury subpoenas, Mark Meadows and Newt Gingrich, have their cases before appeals courts. A regular grand jury, which sits for two months, would probably move swiftly, Carlson said, since it would have all the evidence painstakingly compiled by the special grand jury. "The reason it'll go very fast is the regular grand jury will have a transcript from the testimony of a laundry list of witnesses that have already testified to the special grand jury," Carlson said. The case in Georgia, Carlson pointed out, is especially potent because of how uniquely strong the evidence is and how reliable the witnesses would be.

☆ Trump's terrible, horrible, no good, very bad campaign kickoff
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | Sonam Sheth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Trump pledged when he launched his 2024 campaign that "America's comeback starts right now." Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell also said Trump's actions make him less likely to be the party's nominee. Trump endorsed Florida Sen. Rick Scott in the contest, but McConnell handily defeated Scott, another sign of Trump's slipping hold on the Republican Party. The DA's office notched a huge victory this week when a jury convicted the Trump Organization of nine tax-fraud counts. US District Judge Beryl Howell has not made a final decision on the request to hold Trump's team in contempt of court, according to The Post.

☆ Former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows forced to testify before Georgia grand jury about Trump's effort to overturn 2020 election
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Mark Meadows must testify before a Georgia grand jury investigating 2020 election meddling. In a ruling Tuesday, the South Carolina Supreme Court rejected Meadows' argument he is shielded by "executive privilege." Meadows served as Trump's chief of staff and participated in the campaign to overturn the election. Give me a break," Trump said, according to a recording of the call (Biden's ultimately won the state by 11,780 votes). Meadows, who at the time was sharing conspiracy theories about the 2020 vote with election officials, also texted Raffensperger, who ignored the message, according to CNN.

☆ Many of Donald Trump's legal problems are coming to an end as he launches his 3rd presidential run — but the biggest risks remain
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Donald Trump has steadfastly settled a number of major legal headaches in the lead-up to his 2024 run. In the lead-up to his announcement this month announcing a third presidential run, he cleared many of them away. Some of Trump's legal headaches he just can't get rid of, no matter how hard he rages. ...with a few major exceptionsTrump's most severe legal problems are also the ones he will have the most difficulty getting rid of. Trump's efforts to stay in power despite the will of American voters have also drawn scrutiny in Georgia.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., on Tuesday testified before a Georgia grand jury investigating possible interference in the 2020 presidential election. Graham's office said in a statement he testified for just over two hours and answered the grand jury's questions. “Out of respect for the grand jury process he will not comment on the substance of the questions.”The Supreme Court earlier this month rejected Graham's request to quash a subpoena from the grand jury in the Georgia probe. Willis' office is probing a pair of post-election phone calls Graham made to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and his staff. Graham denied having made such a suggestion, saying he was trying to understand the state’s process for verifying ballot signatures.

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