Chief Judge Robert McBurney presides over the courtroom on Monday, August 14, 2023, at the Superior Court of Fulton County in Atlanta.
Brynn Anderson | AP
An Atlanta grand jury, which had been investigating allegations of attempts by Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia, has voted to issue 10 criminal indictments on Monday night.
Although the names of the indicted individuals and the charges they face have not been disclosed in Fulton County Superior Court, a cover sheet attached to the documents revealed that the grand jury did not reject any of the names submitted by the prosecutors for potential indictment.
Trump himself has publicly stated his anticipation of being indicted in this case.
Following the grand jury’s vote, the indictments were reviewed by Judge Robert McBurney in his courtroom to ensure proper signing.
“Did everything go as expected in front of the grand jury?” Judge McBurney asked a representative from Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ office.
“Yes, Your Honor,” responded the representative.
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, District Attorney Fani Willis is expected to hold a press conference once the indictments have been processed by the court clerk’s office. This process may take one to three hours.
Former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton expressed her feelings on MSNBC, stating, “It’s difficult to believe. I don’t feel any satisfaction. I simply feel deep sadness that we now have a former president facing indictment.”
Clinton added, “He intended to deceive the United States and its citizens.”
Judge McBurney previously informed reporters that they would need to “wait and see” if charges would be filed by the end of the day.
As the judge spoke, prosecutors continued to present testimony to the grand jury, suggesting that the panel might be asked to indict Trump and others earlier than originally anticipated.
Reporter George Chidi, who was initially scheduled to testify on Tuesday, was summoned to court on Monday. Chidi later tweeted, “Change of plans. I’m going to court today. They’re moving faster than they thought.” He was seen entering the courthouse.
Independent journalist George Chidi arrives at the Lewis R. Slaton Courthouse ahead of the expected indictment of former President Donald Trump on August 14, 2023, in Atlanta, Georgia.
Christian Monterrosa | AFP | Getty Images
However, Chidi later revealed that he did not testify as prosecutors deemed his testimony unnecessary.
Another anticipated witness, former Republican Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, was also called for testimony on Monday.
Earlier in the day, Democratic former state senator Jen Jordan testified before the grand jury.
Former state Rep. Bee Nguyen, another Democrat who had been subpoenaed, testified and disclosed that her testimony focused on Trump’s campaign lawyer Rudy Giuliani and other attorneys who spread false claims about ballot fraud in Georgia.
In a statement, Nguyen expressed, “When I took my oath of office in 2017, I swore my allegiance to our Constitution and promised to protect and defend our state and our country.”
She further stated, “On December 10, 2020, when Rudy Giuliani and the former President’s legal team appeared before the Georgia House of Representatives, I fulfilled my oath and told the truth amid false testimony about our elections.”
Georgia Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan speaks to the media following a short session in the Senate chambers during the 29th day of the Georgia Legislative session on Friday, March 13, 2020, in Atlanta.
Alyssa Pointer | AP
Trump appeared to be actively monitoring the witnesses’ testimonies. In a social media post on Monday, he criticized Duncan and urged him not to testify, labeling him a “total disaster.”
Under Georgia’s criminal law, it is a felony to directly or indirectly attempt to discourage a witness from testifying before a grand jury or in any court.
Trump expressed his frustration with the ongoing investigation in another social media post. The investigation is linked to his efforts to pressure Georgia officials to overturn his loss to President Joe Biden in the state’s popular vote.
In early 2021, prior to Congress confirming Biden’s victory in the Electoral College, Trump had a phone call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, in which he stated, “I just want to find 11,780 votes.”
In his Truth Social post on Monday, Trump denied tampering with the election and accused District Attorney Fani Willis of ignoring the substantial evidence available.
Trump is currently facing multiple legal troubles aside from this indictment. He was previously indicted by a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C. in August on charges of conspiring to overturn his defeat in the 2020 national election. He has pleaded not guilty to those charges. Additionally, he has pleaded not guilty to federal charges in Florida related to classified record retention after leaving the White House, as well as charges of falsifying business records related to a hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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