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Georgia grand jury probing Trump ends work, unclear if charges coming

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2023-01-09T16:03:31Z

Donald Trump departs Trump Tower two days after FBI agents raided his Mar-a-Lago Palm Beach home, in New York City, New york, U.S., August 10, 2022. REUTERS/David ‘Dee’ Delgado

The Georgia special grand jury investigating whether former President Donald Trump and his allies unlawfully sought to interfere in the state’s 2020 U.S. presidential election results has issued its final report, a court filing showed on Monday, but it remained unclear whether criminal charges will follow.

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 jurors recommended that their findings be released, McBurney said in the order.

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.

A spokesperson for Willis’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Willis opened a criminal investigation soon after a January 2021 phone call in which Trump urged top election officials to “find” enough votes to overturn Democrat Joe Biden’s statewide victory.

The grand jury heard testimony from numerous state officials, including Georgia Governor Brad Raffensperger, and key Trump advisers such as U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham and attorney Rudy Giuliani.

Prosecutors have told Giuliani he is a target and could face criminal charges, as well as Trump allies who backed a scheme to appoint alternate electors in a bid to deliver Georgia’s electoral votes to Trump, rather than Biden, in the Electoral College process that determines the outcome of presidential elections.

The investigation is one of several civil and criminal probes threatening Trump and his inner circle.