A federal judge had on Monday rejected Graham’s challenge to a subpoena to testify before the grand jury. Graham, a Republican, had argued that his position as a US senator gave him immunity from appearing before the investigative committee. read more Sunday’s order from the Atlanta-based U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals comes as a temporary stay for Graham who would otherwise have to testify on Tuesday. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register The testimony of Graham, a close Trump ally, could shed further light on the Trump team’s concerted effort to overturn the 2020 results. The appeals court gave Graham another chance to challenge the subpoena based on protections for lawmakers under the “speech or debate” clause of the US Constitution. This provision can protect legislators from being forced to discuss legislative activity. U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) questions Attorney General Merrick Garland (not pictured) during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, U.S., April 26, 2022. Greg Nash/Pool via REUTERS/ File photo “The district court shall expedite notification of the parties in such manner as it deems appropriate,” Sunday’s order said. The grand jury wants to question Graham about at least two phone calls he made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and his staff in the weeks after the November 2020 presidential election, in which Graham explored the possibility of absentee ballots being reviewed, according to prosecutors. The Georgia investigation is one of several legal problems facing the former president, whose Florida home was searched by federal agents this month and whose role in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol is being separately investigated by a congressional committee. Trump has falsely claimed that rampant voter fraud caused his loss in Georgia, a battleground state where President Joe Biden’s victory helped propel him to the White House. The Special Judicial Commission in Fulton County, Georgia handles criminal investigations into alleged wrongdoing. Trump was recorded in a Jan. 2, 2021 phone call pressuring a top state official to “find” enough votes to overturn his loss to Biden in the state. He has denied any wrongdoing. The grand jury had also subpoenaed members of Trump’s former legal team. Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s onetime personal attorney, testified before a grand jury in Atlanta on Wednesday. read more Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington. Editing by Mike Scarcella, Mary Milliken and Lisa Shumaker Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
