(HorizonPost.com) – The Georgia district attorney who empaneled a special grand jury to investigate Donald Trump over his alleged attempts to overturn the state’s 2020 election results appeared in Fulton County Superior Court last week for a hearing on releasing the grand jury’s report, leading some to speculate that indictments could be “imminent.”
According to a report in the Associated Press, last Tuesday Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis argued against the public release of the grand jury report at a hearing before Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney.
During the hearing, Willis implied that charges could be forthcoming. While she did not name Donald Trump specifically, Willis argued that releasing the report could make it harder for the defendants named to receive a fair trial.
A total of 17 people were named as targets in the ongoing probe that was launched in March 2021 by District Attorney Willis.
At the time, Willis said she decided to open an investigation after the January 2, 2021 phone call between the former president and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in which Trump allegedly asked Raffensperger to “find” the votes he needed to win Georgia.
In January, Willis empaneled the special grand jury.
Since then, the scope of the grand jury investigation broadened significantly, encompassing other issues, including the slate of fake electors, other phone calls by Trump and his allies to Georgia officials in the weeks following the 2020 election, and the allegations of widespread voter fraud made to Georgia lawmakers.
While Willis opposes making the report public, both Judge McBurney and the grand jury want it released, according to the Associated Press.
Georgia State University law professor Clark Cunningham told the Associated Press that Willis’ comments suggest that the grand jury report contains details about the people both the grand jury and Willis believe are possible future defendants.
He said Willis wouldn’t caution against “creating prejudice” against future defendants if the report didn’t name people she sees as future defendants.
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