Adding another layer to the complexity, Willis’s probe involved a specially convened grand jury. Numerous witnesses testified behind closed doors throughout mid-2022. Among them were heavyweights like U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham and ex-U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
Judge McBurney, overseeing the grand jury process, kept a tight lid on the majority of their report. When Trump sought to challenge Willis’s position and squash the report in court, experts saw it as a premature move, as no indictment had yet been filed.
Endgame Approaches
As July unfolded, tensions reached a boiling point. With Trump’s multiple appeals and legal maneuvers, Georgia’s justices swiftly rejected his pleas. With all judges in Fulton County Superior Court recusing themselves from Trump’s lingering petition, a retired judge from a neighboring county took the reins.
On the cusp of August, Judge McBurney refuted Trump’s motion, criticizing his legal team for overburdening the court with unwarranted filings. By early August, Trump shifted gears, opting to appeal against McBurney’s decision.
