Senator, governor resist subpoenas in Georgia election probe

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp on Thursday became the latest high-profile witness to resist a subpoena compelling his testimony before a grand jury in Georgia’s ongoing investigation into former President Donald Trump’s alleged efforts to influence the state’s 2020 presidential election results. Lindsey Graham, the senior senator from South Carolina, isn’t a witness, but his legal team derailed a subpoena similar to Kemp’s. This past weekend, an appeals court temporarily suspended the order, citing a Constitutional provision applicable to members of Congress that shields them from discussing official legislative acts. Legal representation for Kemp on Thursday argued that the governor is covered by sovereign immunity, executive privilege, and attorney-client.

What are Graham’s and Kemp’s levels of involvement in the Georgia probe? Because of the closed-door nature of the grand jury hearings, it isn’t clear what Georgia District Attorney Fani T. Willis hopes to draw out of the pair’s testimonies. Other key witnesses—such as Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s former personal lawyer—and Kemp have been asked to turn over materials that might speak to the mindset of Trump shortly after the 2020 election. Willis also hopes to compel testimony from Trump’s former chief of staff Mark Meadows and lawyer Sidney Powell.

Dig deeper: Read Carolina Lumetta’s coverage of voter engagement in Georgia following newly-implemented voting laws in the wake of concerns from the 2020 presidential election.