A judge in Georgia has rejected former President Donald Trump’s most recent attempt to halt an investigation into his alleged tampering with the 2020 presidential election.
Although no indictment has been formally issued, there are reports that Trump could face one following a recorded conversation in which he seemingly pressured election officials to locate additional votes for him. In response, Trump’s legal team argued that it’s unjust for Georgia prosecutors to continue their investigation while he remains unindicted. The judge, however, was not swayed by this argument.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney responded in a nine-page ruling, “While being the subject (or even target) of a highly publicized criminal investigation is likely an unwelcome and unpleasant experience, no court ever has held that that status alone provides a basis for the courts to interfere with or halt the investigation.”
Judge McBurney has supervised the grand jury investigation led by District Attorney Fani Willis for the past year, thus he’s well-acquainted with the specifics of the case. He pointed out in his ruling that Trump has profited considerably from these allegations.
Via Politico:
In an aside, McBurney made a clear reference to Trump’s effort to capitalize on his legal troubles as well: “And for some, being the subject of a criminal investigation can, a la Rumpelstiltskin, be turned into golden political capital, making it seem more providential than problematic.”
This fresh development comes just after Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, confessed that he had spread falsehoods about Georgia election workers illicitly obtaining votes from a suitcase. To mitigate potential repercussions from a lawsuit launched by these workers, Giuliani admitted in court to making “false statements” to support Trump’s assertions that the 2020 election was rigged.
This confession could mean further complications for Trump, who was previously recorded pressuring Georgia officials to help him overturn the state’s election results.
(Via Politico)
