Special grand jury to be part of probe into whether Trump broke election laws in Georgia

Judges have approved a request for a special grand jury by the Georgia prosecutor who's investigating whether former U.S. president Donald Trump and others broke the law by trying to pressure Georgia officials to throw out Joe Biden's presidential election victory.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis last week sent a letter to county superior court Chief Judge Christopher Brasher asking him to impanel a special grand jury. Brasher issued an order Monday saying the request was considered and approved by a majority of the superior court judges.

The special grand jury is to be seated May 2 for a period of up to a year, Brasher's order says. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney is assigned to supervise and assist the special grand jury.

A Trump spokesperson didnot immediately respond to a request for comment.

A Democrat, Willis launched the investigation after Trump was recorded in a Jan. 2, 2021, phone call pressuring Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a fellow Republican, to "find" enough votes to overturn his loss. Raffensperger declined.

The transcript quotes Trump telling Raffensperger: "I just want to find 11,780 votes," which is the number Trump needed to win Georgia. Trump hadfor months before and after the November 2020 election made false claims of voter fraud.

In a statement last week, Trump defended what he called his "perfect" phone call.

Legal experts have said Trump's phone calls may have violated at least three state election laws: conspiracy to commit election fraud, criminal solicitation to commit election fraud and intentional interference with performance of election duties. The possible felony and misdemeanor violations are punishable by fines or imprisonment.

In a recent court filing, Willis specifically saidRaffensperger, whoshe described as an "essential witness," had indicated he would only take part in an interview once presented with a subpoena.

In Georgia, a special grand jury can issue subpoenas forcing witnesses to testify but cannot issue indictments. Unlike a traditional grand jury, a special grand jury is devoted to just one case, making it a powerful investigative tool.