A Georgia judge has ruled that Republican lawmakers, including Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan and State Sen. William Ligon, must testify before a court focused on the Atlanta investigation into former President Trump.
- But, the judge set parameters on what questions can be asked of them.
Why it matters: This sets a precedent for any other lawmaker trying to fight citations from the Fulton County Grand Prosecutor’s grand jury focused on far-reaching investigation into the efforts of former President Trump and his allies to cancel the 2020 elections.
The big picture: U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (RS.C.) has said she plans to fight her own subpoena for the Fulton prosecutor’s investigation, but that this legal challenge would take place outside of Georgia.
Leading the news: Fulton County High Court Judge Robert McBurney ruled Wednesday that lawmakers must testify, but are entitled to constitutionally protected “legislative immunity” during that testimony.
- Witnesses, he ruled, cannot be asked about anything that is said while participating in a session of the legislature, including any subcommittee, or any communication they have had with other legislators or staff about any session.
Get up to date quickly: Ligon, a Republican off the coast of Georgia, chaired several state Senate Judiciary Subcommittees “Study of Electoral Law” in which Trump’s attorney, Rudy Giuliani, among others, testify on false allegations of election fraud.
- Ligon issued a “president’s report” after the meeting that he described the November election as “chaotic” and said “any reported outcome should be considered unreliable” and repeated other false allegations of election fraud.
Yes, but: McBurney explicitly stated that asking about any communication between a legislator or an employee with any private citizen, including lobbyists, is within the bounds of the law.