A special grand jury has been selected for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis's inquiry into 2020 election interference in Georgia that involves former President Donald Trump.
Some 23 jurors were chosen along with three alternates by Fulton Superior Court Judge Robert C.I. McBurney, who administered an oath, clearing the way for Willis to begin procuring subpoenas and ramp up one of the most high-profile investigations in the country.
"This group will simply be receiving information, testimony, documents, and ultimately issuing a report that will go on me and to the district attorney, and my colleagues on this bench, where you recommend, recommend what should come next in the district attorney's investigation. She's already underway in the investigation," McBurney said during Monday's hearing, per CNN.
GEORGIA PROSECUTORS COMMENCE GRAND JURY SELECTION PROCESS FOR TRUMP INQUIRY
Throughout the two-hour process, McBurney questioned the would-be jurors about whether they harbored preconceived notions about whether a crime transpired. He whittled a pool of 200 candidates down to 26. Willis, a Democrat, attended the hearing and made brief remarks about her inquiry.
In January, Willis requested a special grand jury be impaneled for her inquiry, stressing it was needed because key witnesses had refused to cooperate with her investigation. Now that the special grand jury has been seated, it will carry out its work in secret. The special grand jury will assist in her investigation and issue subpoenas.
Willis is investigating whether any crimes have been committed by Trump or his allies during the aftermath of the 2020 election in Georgia. She began the investigation early last year and has said she is hoping to conclude the criminal review within a year.
Several weeks after the election, Trump called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and implored him to "find" 11,780 votes — which he needed to overturn his election loss in the state. Trump has since defended the call, repeatedly describing it as a "perfect call."
She is also looking into false claims Rudy Giuliani made to the Georgia Senate about the election, a call that took place between Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Raffensperger, and the sudden resignation of the U.S. attorney in Atlanta on Jan. 4, 2021.
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At least 30 people declined interviews for her inquiry. By approving subpoenas, the special grand jury can compel them to testify. Willis has previously said she expects witness testimonies to commence on June 1. Willis has interviewed 50 people so far in the investigation and aims to interview at least 60 more.