Grand jury selection to start in Trump election probe
ATLANTA — When potential grand jurors show up at an Atlanta courthouse today, they’ll find a television camera in the room and streets closed outside — nods to the intense public interest in the investigation into whether former President Donald Trump and others illegally tried to pressure Georgia officials to overturn Joe Biden’s presidential election victory in the state.
Fulton County District Attorney Fa ni Willis has taken the unusual step of requesting a special grand jury for the investigation, and the selection of that panel begins today.
The seating of a grand jury — even a rare special grand jury — is a routine process that’s generally of little interest. But the appetite for any news about this case has prompted the court to make accommodations for at least parts of the grand jury selection to be broadcast to the public. Although there will be cameras in the room, they won’t be allowed to show potential grand jurors.
The investigation into potential attempts to influence the 2020 general election in Georgia began early last year. Willis asked the chief judge of the county superior court in January to impanel a special grand jury. She wrote in a letter that her office had information indicating a “reasonable probability” of “possible criminal disruptions” to the administration of that election.