A Georgia judge ruled that Republican lawmakers, including Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan and state senator William Ligon, must testify before a panel focused on the Atlanta investigation into former President Trump.
- But the judge sets parameters as to what questions they can be asked.
Why it matters: This sets a precedent for other lawmakers seeking to fight subpoenas from the Fulton County DA’s special grand jury targeting the wide-ranging investigation into former President Trump and his allies’ efforts to undo the 2020 election.
The big picture: US Senator Lindsey Graham (RS.C.) has said he plans to challenge his own subpoena through the Fulton DA’s investigation, but that legal challenge would come from Georgia.
Send the news: Fulton County Superior Court judge Robert McBurney ruled Wednesday that lawmakers must testify, but they are entitled to constitutionally protected “legislative immunity” during that testimony.
- The witnesses, he ruled, should not be asked about anything said at a session of the legislature, including a subcommittee, nor any communications they may have had with other lawmakers or associates about a session.
Quick update: Ligon, a Republican from the coast of Georgia, chaired several Senate Judiciary Subcommittees, which included former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani testifying on false accusations of voter fraud.
- Ligon released a “chairman’s report” after the meeting calling the November election “chaotic” and that “any reported results should be considered unreliable” and reiterated other false accusations of voter fraud.
Yes but: McBurney explicitly stated that asking for communication between a lawmaker or executive with a private individual, including lobbyists, is within the confines of the law.
