According to one of CNN's legal analysts, blunt comments made by members of the special grand jury in Georgia that looked into accusations of election interference by Donald Trump and close associates in 2020 will likely put pressure on Fulton County DA Fani Willis to issue criminal indictments.
In the five-page excerpt of the grand jury's findings that was released on Thursday, they wrote, "A majority of the grand jury believes that perjury may have been committed by one or more witnesses testifying before it. The grand jury recommends that the district attorney seek appropriate indictments for such crimes where the evidence is compelling.”
Since the excerpt did not name names -- and since witnesses included former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, ex-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) -- CNN's Stephen Collinson suggested they should be very "nervous" as Willis makes her next move, reportedly taking the findings to a regular grand jury.
"The tantalizing glimpse into a few of the grand jury’s conclusions also left outsiders considering whether the potential exposure of Trump and those around him had worsened in light of the new information," writes Collinson. "Also up in the air is how it would weigh on the mind of Willis as she considers decisions that could have a huge impact given the involvement of a former president who is an already declared candidate in the 2024 White House race."
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He went on to add that "such a document is, by definition, one-sided since witnesses do not testify alongside counsel or have a chance to rebut any accusations. The rest of the report was not released to avoid prejudicing the rights of people who may or may not end up being charged in the case. Still, the recommendations of perjury prosecutions, although non-binding, represent a small step forward on the issue of whether there will criminal accountability for an attempt to subvert democracy – or to cover it up."
Reflecting on what has been released so far, Thomas Dupree, who served as an assistant attorney general under ex-President George W. Bush, told CNN, "I am convinced there will be indictments, either for perjury or for other crimes."
CNN legal analyst Elie Honig agreed and noted that the "tone" of grand jury members' "frank" comments stood out.
“The grand jury believes they witnessed serious wrongdoing. That is the tone. It’s unmistakable in the report,” he stated.
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