GRAHAM CRACKED: Lindsey’s stonewalling failed to stop the inevitable
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) testified for over two hours before a Fulton County special grand jury on Tuesday.
After multiple attempts to block the testimony, including a brief Hail Mary from the United States Supreme Court, Graham finally sat down to answer questions about his role in helping then-President Trump overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results.
After months of stonewalling, seeking protections granted under the Constitution’s Speech and Debate Clause, the “will he/won’t he,” testimony saga ended with Graham’s full cooperation.
“Today, Senator Graham appeared before the Fulton County Special Grand Jury for just over two hours and answered all questions. The Senator feels he was treated with respect, professionalism, and courtesy. Out of respect for the grand jury process, he will not comment on the substance of the questions,” Graham’s office said in a statement.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis convened a grand jury to investigate the ex-President’s plot to overturn November 2020’s free and fair results, including a phone call Graham placed to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, on which the Trump ally “suggested” Georgia throw out legally cast absentee and mail-in ballots.
Graham and his legal team have maintained that the call was placed in an official capacity, while the Senator from South Carolina contemplated certifying the election results for President-elect Biden.
Graham had argued he should not have to comply with the subpoena because he is protected under the Constitution’s Speech or Debate clause, which shields lawmakers from some criminal or civil proceedings related to their legislative duties, CNN reported.
The courts ruled Graham could not be questioned about the fact-finding he embarked on related to his decision to certify the 2020 election results. However, a federal appeals court noted that “coordination with the Trump campaign regarding its post-election efforts in Georgia, public statements regarding the 2020 election, and efforts to ‘cajole’ or ‘exhort’ Georgia election officials” did not constitute legislative activity.
Details of Graham’s testimony have yet to be released.
Original reporting by Sara Murray and Chris Youd at CNN.
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