Grand jury heard another recording of Trump pressuring Georgia official: report

The Georgia grand jury that was tasked with investigating whether former President Trump interfered with the 2020 election has heard a recording of a phone call the former president had with a top state lawmaker, according to a report.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution interviewed five of the 23 jurors in the case, who revealed that they listened to a recording of a phone conversation between Trump and Georgia House Speaker David Ralston, a detail that was not previously reported on or made public. The jurors said the recording revealed Trump asking Ralston to convene a special session of the state legislature to overturn President Biden’s win in Georgia.

Ralston, who died in November, did not call for a special session.

One of the jurors, who all declined to be named due to safety and privacy concerns, said the phone call showed that Ralston was an “amazing politican.” The juror told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the Speaker “basically cut the president off. He said, ‘I will do everything in my power that I think is appropriate.’ “

The audio is the third such recording of a Trump call to Georgia officials that has been revealed as part of the former president’s campaign to pressure them into overturning the 2020 election results in the state.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis opened the investigation into the 2020 election in early 2021, after it was made public that Trump suggested in a different phone call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger that he “find” about 11,000 votes so that Trump could win the state.

“All I want to do is this,” the president said in the phone recording. “I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have. Because we won the state.”

This interview offers another insight into the grand jury’s investigation, just weeks after the jury forewoman hinted the former president and multiple allies could face a variety of charges as a result of the probe. She declined to say who could face charges as she faced criticism for her media blitz last month.

The grand jury partially released its report into the probe last month, which stated that there was no widespread fraud in the 2020 contest. The report also encouraged the prosecution of witnesses who may have lied to the panel.