Georgia DA mulls seeking Trump's testimony as probe heats up

July 15th, 2022

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis speaks during an interview at her office, Feb. 24, 2021, in Atlanta. A judge is considering what guidelines to place on questions that can be asked of Georgia state lawmakers called before a special grand jury in an investigation, opened by Willis, into whether former President Donald Trump and others illegally tried to influence the 2020 election in the state. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)

John Bazemore / Associated PRess

The Georgia prosecutor investigating potential criminal interference in the 2020 presidential election is considering requesting that former President Donald Trump testify under oath to a grand jury, while several people already subpoenaed as part of the probe have received letters informing them that they’re at risk of being indicted.

The developments underscore the accelerating nature of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ investigation and the key decisions that may lie ahead for prosecutors who for months have been scrutinizing efforts by Trump and his allies to undo his election loss in Georgia.

“I think it’s something that we’re still weighing and evaluating,” Willis told Yahoo News in an interview published Friday about the question of requesting Trump’s testimony.

Such a demand would almost certainly trigger an immediate court fight, including potentially over Trump’s constitutional protections against self-incrimination.

A spokesman for Willis, Jeff DiSantis, confirmed to The Associated Press that Willis said she is considering subpoenaing Trump for his testimony.

Meanwhile, some people who have been previously subpoenaed have subsequently received so-called target letters, according to a person familiar with the matter who insisted on anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation. Prosecutors generally issue such letters to inform people they’ve been investigating that they have developed evidence against them and that they are in jeopardy of being criminally charged.

The person who confirmed the issuance of the target letters, which were first reported by Yahoo, would not identify any of the recipients.

The special grand jury has been investigating whether Trump and others illegally tried to meddle in the 2020 election in Georgia as the Republican desperately tried to cling to power after his loss to Democrat Joe Biden. Trump continues to insist that the election was stolen, despite the fact that numerous federal and local officials, a long list of courts, top former campaign staff members and even his own attorney general have all said there is no evidence of the fraud he alleges.

Willis has confirmed that the investigation’s scope includes a Jan. 2, 2021, phone call between Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.