Newt Gingrich ordered to testify before Georgia grand jury investigating 2020 election aftermath
By Sara Murray, CNNUpdated: Wed, 09 Nov 2022 16:47:22 GMTSource: CNNFormer House Speaker Newt Gingrich must testify before the Atlanta-area special grand jury investigating efforts by Donald Trump and
By Sara Murray, CNNUpdated: Wed, 09 Nov 2022 16:47:22 GMT
Source: CNN
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich must testify before the Atlanta-area special grand jury investigating efforts by Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia, a Virginia judge ordered Wednesday.
Fairfax Circuit Court Judge Robert Smith ordered Gingrich to appear before the grand jury on November 29.
Because Gingrich is an out-of-state witness and resides in Virginia, the Virginia court was tasked with whether to issue and enforce the subpoena from Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who is leading the election interference probe in Georgia.
An attorney for the former Republican speaker said he is likely to appeal.
Prosecutors are interested in hearing from Gingrich about his role working with Trump's campaign after the 2020 election, including the scheme to send "fake electorate" certificates to the National Archives and encouraging the then-president's campaign "to air advertisements promoting the false narrative that election workers had smuggled suitcases containing fake ballots at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta," according to court filings.
In issuing the subpoena, Georgia prosecutors cited information from a letter the House Select Committee investigating January 6 issued seeking Gingrich's testimony. Gingrich's attorney, John Burlingame, argued in court that Gingrich already plans to testify before the House committee on November 21 and should not be forced to appear in Georgia as well.
"It's not necessary for Speaker Gingrich to have to travel to Georgia to address the exact same topics," Burlingame argued.
The judge, however, disagreed.
The Atlanta-area grand jury has also subpoenaed Randy Evans, who is one of Gingrich's attorneys, to testify. Evans said prosecutors want to ask him about correspondence Gingrich sent that includes mention of Evans.
Evans told CNN he plans to comply with the subpoena and testify next week.
