Gingrich resists testifying before Ga. grand jury in election probe
Source: Washington Post
Gingrich resists testifying before Ga. grand jury in election probe
Fulton County prosecutor picked up on House Jan. 6 committee allegations that Gingrich advised Trump administration officials on steps to reverse result
By Tom Jackman
November 8, 2022 at 4:30 p.m. EST
Former House speaker Newt Gingrich, a Republican who represented Georgia, is scheduled to appear in a Fairfax County courtroom Wednesday morning to fight a demand that he testify before a Georgia special grand jury investigating possible attempts in that state to manipulate the 2020 presidential election.
Gingrich, 79, resigned from the House in 1999 and lives in Northern Virginia. He has remained politically active, including a run for president in 2012, and recently attracted the attention of the House panel investigating the Capitol riot of Jan. 6, 2021. The committee alleged in a September letter that Gingrich urged Donald Trump and his team to spread false information about supposed election fraud in Georgia, and that he was involved in the scheme to have “fake electors” submitted to Congress during the electoral college vote to have Trump declared the winner, though Joe Biden was certified as president.
Gingrich has agreed to testify Nov. 21 before the committee about his actions. But in Fulton County, Ga., District Attorney Fani T. Willis is also investigating “criminal disruptions” related to the election in Georgia, through a special grand jury. After seeing the Jan. 6 committee’s letter to Gingrich, Willis sought Gingrich’s testimony before the Fulton County special grand jury, court records show, and a judge there last month certified the need for the out-of-state witness.
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Gingrich’s lawyer, John A. Burlingame, noted in a filing Monday that Georgia’s special grand juries do not have the power to indict, are not required to administer the criminal oath, and are prohibited from issuing subpoenas to targets of investigations or out-of-state witnesses. The Fulton County grand jury may only issue a report and recommendations based on its investigations. Willis will then decide which individuals, if any, to seek charges against.
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Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/11/08/gingrich-testimony-georgia-election-probe/
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