by the associated press: The Georgia prosecutor, who is probing whether Donald Trump and his allies broke any laws in trying to reverse his 2020 election loss in the state, on Monday (local time) asked the former president to remove him from the case. Fought against the attempt and exclude some evidence.
Trump’s Georgia legal team asked the court in March to toss out the report of a special grand jury that was sitting in the case and to bar prosecutors from using any evidence or testimony stemming from the panel’s investigation. They also asked that Fulton County District Attorney Fannie Willis and her office be barred from investigating or prosecuting the case.
Willis responded in a filing Monday that Trump’s proposal is “procedurally flawed” and advances “arguments lacking merit.”
For more than two years, Willis has been investigating actions taken by Trump and others in the wake of the 2020 election. She took the unusual step last year of seeking a special grand jury to aid in the investigation, saying the panel’s subpoena power would allow her team to coerce the testimony of people who might otherwise not cooperate.
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The special grand jury, which did not have the power to issue indictments, was convened last May and disbanded in January after hearing 75 witnesses and submitting a report with recommendations for Willis. Although much of that report is still withheld as ordered by a judge, a foreperson on the panel said without naming names that the special grand jury recommended charging several people.
Trump attorneys Drew Findling, Jennifer Little and Marissa Goldberg argued that the special grand jury included “a continued lack of clarity as to the statute, inconsistent application of basic constitutional protections to individuals being brought before it, and a prosecutor’s office which was found to be a genuine conflict, yet continued to pursue the investigation.”
They also asked that their claims be heard by a judge other than Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney, who oversees the special grand jury.
Cathy Latham, one of 16 Georgia Republicans who met at the state capitol on December 14, 2020, and signed a certificate falsely declaring that Trump had won the presidential election and declaring himself the state’s ” joined Trump last month, declaring “duly elected and eligible” voters. Speed.
It has become clear during the investigation that Willis is interested in the actions of fraudulent voters, and at least eight of them have secured immunity deals in the case.
In his motion Monday, Willis asked that McBurney maintain oversight of the matter and urged that Trump and Latham’s motions be dismissed or denied without a hearing.
Willis wrote that the arguments in the motion fail to meet the “exact standards” for disqualifying a prosecutor and also fail to substantiate his claims that his own due process rights have been violated. or that the grand jury process was “tainted” or that the law governing it is unconstitutional.
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Trump and Latham “are not satisfied to follow the normal course of law”, Willis wrote.
Trump’s lawyers said in a statement, “The state’s response was primarily procedural in nature and failed to address a number of very important issues that were discussed in our brief and exhibits.” a response.
A coalition of news organizations, including The Associated Press, also filed a motion Monday objecting to Trump’s request that the special grand jury report be “canceled and expunged from the record.”
Media lawyers argued, “Such a measure is not only unsupported by any legal basis, but would also be contrary to the fundamental principles of this nation and state.” “The report is of the utmost public concern, and should be released to the public in its entirety.”
Last month, Willis sent a letter to local law enforcement leaders advising them to prepare for “enhanced security” as she intends to announce charging decisions in the case between July 11 and September 1. Regular grand jury.
The Georgia investigation is one of several that threaten the former president as he campaigns to retake the White House in 2024. Manhattan Grand Jury in March He was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records. To cover up surreptitious payments to a porn actor during the 2016 presidential election.
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Meanwhile, a federal grand jury in Washington is investigating efforts by Trump and his allies to undo the results of the 2020 presidential election and possible mishandling of classified documents by Trump at his Florida estate.
Last week a federal jury in New York found Trump liable for sexual assault of consultant columnist E Jean Carrolll In 1996, awarded him $5 million.