'Never been a part of this process': Trump lawyers won’t attend GA hearing where judge could release report
23 January 2023
Donald Trump’s attorneys will not attend the Georgia hearing where a judge is set to potentially release a grand jury’s report on the state’s investigation of the former president’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election, USA Today reports.
The Fulton County grand jury that investigated Trump and his GOP allies for months over their alleged interference in the 2020 election recently finished its final report, complete with recommendations. Now it’s up to Judge Robert McBurney to decide whether to release the jury’s findings — partially or wholly — to the public in the upcoming hearing.
USA Today reports that McBurney did note the jury “voted to recommend that the report be published.”
Trump’s attorneys, Drew Findling and Marissa Goldberg, are convinced the former president has nothing to hide. The two said in a statement, "To date, we have never been a part of this process. The grand jury compelled the testimony of dozens of other, often high-ranking, officials during the investigation, but never found it important to speak with the president."
The lawyers continued, "Therefore, we can assume that the grand jury did their job and looked at the facts and the law, as we have, and concluded there were no violations of the law by President Trump.”
The hearing will dictate whether there are any challenges or opposition to consider before proceeding with further legal action, according to USA Today.
AlterNet previously reported that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis could use the jury’s recommendations “as the basis of an indictment of Trump and others.”