Georgia grand jury expected to consider charges against Trump is sworn in

A grand jury that is expected to consider if criminal charges should be brought in Georgia against former President Trump was sworn in Tuesday in Atlanta.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has been investigating Trump since 2021 over a call Trump made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, asking him to “find” enough votes to overturn the result of the 2020 election in the state.

The case is considering whether that call, along with efforts by those close to Trump to organize fake electoral college voters and other similar acts, are enough to criminally charge the former president.

At least eight of those fake electors have taken immunity deals with Willis’s office.

Trump already faces 37 federal charges in a federal investigation related to the mishandling of classified documents in Florida and another 34 charges related to falsifying business records in New York. He is also being investigated in a fake electors scheme related to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. All of those investigations are separate from the Georgia probe.

One of the two 23-member grand juries empaneled Tuesday is expected to consider whether to hand up a criminal indictment against Trump and potentially some of his allies. Willis previously said that any charging decisions would come from this grand jury session, which ends Sept. 1.

A separate grand jury was empaneled last year in order to compel witness testimony from those otherwise unwilling to talk to investigators. That group was released in January after drafting a report, which outlines charging recommendations. The report has not been fully released.

It is standard procedure in the Fulton County court to seat two grand juries simultaneously, The Associated Press said. No information on grand jury sessions is available to the public. One of the two groups will consider the election case, though it is unknown which one.

In a grand jury session, Willis will present the case to the group and bring in witnesses. The grand jury can question Willis and the witnesses. After the case is presented, the grand jury deliberates and votes on indictments, which require a majority vote to go forward.

If the grand jury votes not to indict, Willis can show the case to a second grand jury. But if a second grand jury decides not to bring charges, the investigation is closed.