By Joseph Ax
The final report from a special grand jury that investigated Donald Trump's attempts to overturn Georgia's 2020 presidential election is due to be released on Friday, weeks after the former U.S. president and 18 associates were indicted.
The report, which has remained sealed for nine months, includes the grand jury's recommendations to prosecutors on whom to charge. The document could show whether the jurors felt any additional Trump allies should have been indicted beyond those who face charges.
The special grand jury was convened in 2021 at the request of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to aid in her investigation. Over the course of several months, the jurors subpoenaed testimony from 75 witnesses, including Trump allies such as Rudy Giuliani and Republican U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham and top Georgia officials such as Governor Brian Kemp.
The special grand jury did not have the power to issue charges. But Willis used the evidence it gathered to seek an indictment from a regular grand jury last month, which accused Trump and his co-defendants of overseeing a wide-ranging conspiracy to sabotage Democrat Joe Biden's statewide victory.
The indictment listed 30 unindicted co-conspirators, who have not been charged but allegedly played a role in the scheme.
All 19 defendants have pleaded not guilty. As with his three other criminal prosecutions, Trump has denied any wrongdoing and said he is the victim of political persecution.
Despite his legal troubles, he remains the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination next year.
The grand jury report had stayed secret at Willis's request while she determined what charges to bring. Now the indictment has come down, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McNurney wrote in an order last week, there is no longer any reason to keep it from the public.
(Reporting by Joseph Ax; Editing by Scott Malone and Daniel Wallis)
