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A federal judge in Georgia denied Sen. Lindsey Graham’s bid to avoid testifying before a Atlanta-area grand jury investigating interference in the 2020 election, rejecting the Trump ally’s claim that he was shielded from such scrutiny by legislative privilege.
U.S. District Judge Leigh Martin May ruled that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis had “shown extraordinary circumstances and a special need for Senator Graham’s testimony on issues relating to alleged attempts to influence or disrupt the lawful administration of Georgia’s 2020 elections.”
The South Carolina Republican had asserted that he was engaging in legitimate inquiries as a lawmaker under the Constitution’s speech and debate clause when he contacted Georgia officials following the 2020 election.
“The Court finds that there are considerable areas of potential grand jury inquiry falling outside the Speech or Debate Clause’s protections,” May ruled.
