Appeals court halts Sen. Lindsey Graham testimony in Georgia 2020 election probeBy Mark Moore
August 21, 2022
A federal appeals court on Sunday halted Sen. Lindsey Graham’s testimony before the grand jury investigating possible illegal efforts by allies of former President Donald Trump’s to overturn the results of the 2020 election in Georgia.
The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, acting on a request by the South Carolina Republican, temporarily blocked a decision by a federal judge in Atlanta that rejected Graham’s claim of congressional immunity and ordered him to appear before the special grand jury on Tuesday.
The three-panel appeals court returned the matter to US District Judge Leigh Martin May to decide whether the subpoena should be partially squashed or modified because of protections granted to members of Congress.
Once decided, the case will be returned to the appeals court.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has said her team wants to ask Graham about phone calls he made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger after the November election about tossing absentee ballots.
Graham has argued that it was part of his due diligence as a lawmaker who would have to vote on certifying the election.
He said the inquiries were protected under the Constitution’s Speech or Debate clause that prevents a local official from questioning a senator about official legislative acts.
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Source:
https://nypost.com/2022/08/21/lindsey-graham-testimony-halted-in-georgia-election-probe/
