Trump’s FOURTH indictment draws closer: Atlanta prosecutors call two witnesses to grand jury early next week over claims the former president tried to quash Georgia election

Two key witnesses will appear before a grand jury in Georgia early next week as the potential for a fourth indictment against former President Donald Trump approaches.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is in the final stages of her investigation into Trump’s attempts to reverse his defeat in the key state of Georgia.

If charged, it would be the fourth time since March that the 45th president of the United States has been charged.

Georgia’s former lieutenant governor Geoff Duncan, a Republican, will appear on Tuesday to testify about Trump’s claims during the 2020 presidential election count.

George Chidi, an independent journalist who publishes on Substack, tweeted that he will also appear on Tuesday.

“I just got word to appear before the Fulton County Grand Jury on Tuesday morning and I’ll be sure to do my part in getting the facts straight,” Duncan said. CNNwhere he works as an employee.

“I have no expectations regarding the questions and I will certainly answer any questions that are put to me,” he added.

That’s a signal that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis – an elected Democrat – is moving forward with a grand jury presentation in which she is expected to file charges against more than a dozen people stemming from her investigation into the efforts to overthrow the 2020 election. to undo.

Her investigation focused on efforts to pressure state election officials, the plot to put forward rogue voters, and a violation of voting systems in rural Coffee County, Georgia.

The state was a focus of Trump and his allies as they attempted to stay in power in the wake of his 2020 presidential election.

The then president was caught on tape and urged Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to help him.

“The people of Georgia are angry, the people of the country are angry,” he said in audio obtained by the Washington Post. “And there’s nothing wrong with saying, you know, uh, you recalculated.”

Raffensperger insisted Trump’s data was incorrect, but the president insisted, “I just want to find 11,780 votes, that’s one more than we have.”

Trump said Saturday he would never “accept a plea deal” as Georgia prosecutors prepare to appear before a grand jury early next week with their investigation into election interference by the former president and his allies.

‘We haven’t done anything wrong. We never make a plea deal. We don’t take plea deals. It’s a sensible question,” Trump told reporters on the Des Moines airport ramp after visiting the Iowa State Fair.

“We don’t accept plea deals because we haven’t done anything wrong. That’s called election interference,” he said.

Two weeks ago, Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat presented what he called a “protective plan” for a possible indictment against Trump.

“Our goal is to have all the services we normally have open and operational, but at the same time create a safe environment for those we actually serve,” he told a news conference.

The precautions reflect how a divided country is entering uncharted territory, with the potential for mass demonstrations or a repeat of the violence that erupted on January 6, 2021.

Trump, 77, remains the clear front-runner for the 2024 Republican Party nomination.

But his election timetable must now include a slew of hearings.

Last week, he appeared in federal court in Washington to plead not guilty to charges that he conspired to defraud the US by preventing Congress from sanctioning Democratic President Joe Biden’s victory, stripping American voters of their right to a fair election .

That was Miami earlier in the summer. There he pleaded not guilty to charges related to his handling of government documents and an alleged cover-up.

And in April, he surrendered to authorities in New York, where he is accused of falsifying business records as part of a hush money payment to a porn star. He pleaded not guilty in that case.

Now Atlanta could be the next backdrop for his criminal battles.

On Monday, the front of the courthouse was lined with rows of orange plastic barricades and steel fences.

Local media reports that an indictment is expected this week.

Willis hasn’t revealed much about the case she’s building, but lawyers familiar with her history say they believe she’ll invoke Georgia’s racketeering law.

It is modeled after the federal RICO laws that were put in place to link mob bosses to crimes committed by their underlings.