Giuliani asserts that he “fulfilled” his responsibility before the Georgia grand jury

After being questioned for several hours by a special grand jury in Atlanta on Wednesday, Rudy Giuliani claimed he had “satisfied his obligation” in light of the ongoing investigation into whether or not former President Donald Trump and others attempted to overturn Trump’s 2020 election loss in Georgia.

Giuliani said in an interview with The Associated Press that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis concluded his appearance by stating he had “satisfied his obligation under the subpoena.”

“So I was very happy that I satisfied my obligation,” said Giuliani.

When he spoke upon his return to the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, Giuliani did not disclose any further specifics regarding his appearance or testimony.

Giuliani’s team attempted to postpone his appearance before the special grand jury on the grounds that he was unable to travel after heart stent surgery in early July. On Wednesday, Giuliani said, “My plane ride was OK,” adding that it was his first flight following the surgery.

Costello said that the session, which ran from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a 30-minute lunch break, “went very well. No disputes.” Costello did not immediately comment on whether Giuliani replied or rejected questions.

“Everyone was a gentleman or lady. Professional,” he stated in a text message, adding that Willis greeted Giuliani and his attorneys at the end.

The Democratic prosecutor’s probe has increased scrutiny of the frantic and ultimately unsuccessful attempts to overturn Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. It is one of many investigations into what Trump did while in office as he gets ready to run for president again in 2024.

Willis started her investigation after the publication of a surprising phone conversation between President Trump and Georgia’s secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, on January 2, 2021. In the phone conversation, Trump stated that Raffensperger might “find” the specific number of votes required to overturn the election results in Georgia.

Trump has denied any improper conduct. He said that the call was “perfect.”

Willis filed requests to compel testimony from seven Trump associates and advisors last month. She has also said that she might ask Trump to testify, and he has put together a legal team in Atlanta that includes a well-known criminal defense lawyer.

Other Trump friends implicated in the investigation include Republican U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. On Wednesday, his lawyers filed a request asking a federal judge to postpone Graham’s special grand jury hearing scheduled for August 23 while he appeals an order requiring him to testify.

In the weeks after the election, prosecutors want to question Graham about phone calls they claim he made to Raffensperger and his team.

The subpoena is being challenged in federal court by Graham’s attorneys, including former White House counsel Don McGahn. They believe that Graham’s position in Congress exempts him from appearing before the grand jury. A federal court disproved the senator’s claim and ordered him to testify. Graham has expressed his intention to appeal.

Also on Wednesday, the attorneys for Republican Governor Brian Kemp urged the judge in charge of the special grand jury to dismiss a subpoena compelling him to appear on Thursday. Kemp’s motion states that Willis’ team canceled a planned video recorded voluntary interview with Kemp on July 25 and filed a subpoena after Kemp’s counsel asked about the interview’s scope.

Kemp’s attorneys accused Willis’ team of using “delay and artificial deadlines” to bring the governor’s “interaction with the investigation to reach a crescendo in the middle of an election cycle.” They assert that it was given “for political, rather investigative, reasons.”

Kemp will face Democrat Stacey Abrams in the general election in November.

In addition to using “sovereign immunity” and “executive privilege” and “attorney-client privilege,” Kemp’s attorneys assert that “sovereign immunity” protects a governor from having to testify about his official duties. They said if the court does not dismiss the subpoena, the judge should create guidelines for what questions may be asked.

Willis was direct in a July letter to Kemp attorney Brian McEvoy, which he shared with the court: “You repeatedly referring to it as a politically motivated investigation, does not make it so. In fact, you repeating it so many times only proves you have become very comfortable being dishonest.”

Willis stated in his request for Giuliani’s testimony that he was both Trump’s personal attorney and the lead attorney for his 2020 campaign.

She stated in a petition how Giuliani and others arrived at a state Senate committee hearing in late 2020 and presented a video that Giuliani said showed election officials creating “suitcases” of illegal votes from unknown sources, out of the eyes of election poll observers. Georgia election authorities disproved the allegations of fraud within 24 hours. Willis added in her filing that Giuliani proceeded to make public remarks and future legislative hearings suggesting widespread election fraud using the flawed video.

Ruby Freeman and Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, two of the election workers featured in the video, claimed they experienced continuous online and in-person abuse when it was broadcast at the Dec. 3 legislative hearing at which Giuliani spoke. A week later, at another hearing, Giuliani said that the footage showed the women “surreptitiously passing around USB ports as if they were heroin or cocaine vials.” They were, in fact, exchanging a piece of candy.

Willis said in the court filing that Giuliani’s hearing appearance and remarks were “part of a multi-state, coordinated plan by the Trump Campaign to influence the November 2020 election results in Georgia and elsewhere.”

Willis also claimed in a petition seeking the evidence of attorney Kenneth Chesebro that he and Giuliani collaborated on a plan to have Georgia Republicans act as fake electors. Despite the fact that Biden had won the state and a slate of Democratic electors was certified, these 16 individuals signed a certificate stating that Trump had won the 2020 presidential election and declared themselves to be “duly elected and qualified” electors.