On Monday, Georgia’s Supreme Court declined a request by former U.S. President Donald Trump to obstruct an investigation by Fulton County’s district attorney into potential illicit interference in the state’s 2020 presidential election by Trump and his associates.
Trump’s legal team submitted two separate appeals last week in Georgia’s courts, both designed to obstruct the examination led by District Attorney Fani Willis into the alleged strategic attempts to illegitimately modify the 2020 elections’ results. These filings were aimed at disqualifying Willis from investigating Trump and at suppressing a report originating from the special grand jury, which Willis leveraged for her probe.
The state Supreme Court, consisting of nine justices, summarily rejected Trump’s appeal in a unanimous decision. They stated that the type of legal remedy sought by Trump is beyond the scope of what the court typically provides unless exceptional circumstances, not demonstrated by the petitioner, exist.
Additionally, the court noted that even if the appeal were to follow the correct procedures, Trump did not provide sufficient proof that he is deserving of the requested legal relief. Trump’s representative was not available for immediate comment on this issue.
Despite requests for commentary, the District Attorney’s office declined to provide a statement. Another similar petition from Trump submitted last Friday is currently under consideration by the Fulton County Superior Court.
Both filings requested a court injunction preventing Willis from presenting any evidence gathered through the special purpose grand jury process to a regular grand jury. The special grand jury recommended indicting over a dozen individuals, according to its foreperson, Emily Kohrs, during a February appearance on “NBC Nightly News”. The identities of the individuals suggested for indictment have not been disclosed.
In his petitions, Trump requested immediate action from both courts. He stated that Willis has indicated her intent to utilize the report, which Trump asserts is the product of a distorted and usurped process, to secure an indictment against him within a few weeks or even days.
Trump submitted a similar request to the Fulton County Superior Court in March. The ruling on this submission is pending, with Judge Robert McBurney, who has been supervising the grand jury investigation, yet to make a decision.
Willis commenced her expansive probe into potential election interference in January 2021. Trump has steadfastly denied any involvement in such activities and has accused Willis, a Democrat, of leading a politically charged “witch hunt.”
Through her correspondence with local law enforcement agencies, Willis has hinted at her intention to likely pursue indictments in the first half of August.