A Georgia judge ruled Monday that parts of a Fulton County grand jury report on possible 2020 election interference by former President Donald Trump and his allies be released later this week.
In an eight-page ruling, Judge Robert McBurney ruled that the brief’s introduction, conclusion, and section VIII, in which jurors express concern that some witnesses lied under oath, can be made public. Those witnesses are not identified, the judge said.
The special purpose grand jury was convened by the Fulton County District Attorney’s office for an investigation into «‘facts and circumstances relating directly or indirectly to possible attempts to disrupt the lawful administration of the 2020 election in the state of Georgia’ and to prepare a report on whether someone should be prosecuted for such potential crimes.»
The grand jury presented its findings in a report to Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis last month. Willis will decide whether she presents evidence to a grand jury for the criminal charges.
In his ruling on Monday, McBurney said the report includes recommendations about «who should (or should not) be charged and why» but that those parts would remain sealed for now.
A group of news organizations had asked the judge to make the report public, and the judge agreed with some of their reasoning.
«[W]While publication may not be convenient for the pace of the DA’s investigation, the compelling public interest in these proceedings and the unquestionable value and importance of transparency demand its disclosure,» the judge wrote.
He said he scheduled the release for Thursday so the parties involved could do write-ups, if necessary.
McBurney said the rest of the report should not be released «until the district attorney completes his investigation.»
The prosecutor’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Willis convened the special grand jury last year because the panel had the power to issue subpoenas to compel witnesses to testify.
Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani, Sen. Lindsey Graham, RS.C., and several people who acted as «alternate electors» for those who were duly elected in the state were among those questioned.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who had been pressured by Trump and his allies to rig the outcome of the 2020 election, also testified.
Among the incidents the grand jury investigated was Trump’s January 2, 2021 phone call with Raffensperger in which he urged the state’s top election official to annul Joe Biden’s victory. “All I want to do is this. I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have. Because we won the state,» Trump said on the call.
Trump has denied any wrongdoing, calling the investigation a «witch hunt.»