Brian Kemp must testify in Trump election interference probe, Georgia judge rules
A Georgia judge on Monday denied Gov.
A Georgia judge on Monday denied Gov. Brian Kemp's bid to avoid testifying before the grand jury hearing evidence in an investigation of possible 2020 election interference by then-President Donald Trump and others but said he doesn't have to testify until after the November election.
"The governor is in the midst of a re-election campaign and this criminal grand jury investigation should not be used by the District Attorney, the Governor's opponent, or the Governor himself to influence the outcome of that election," Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney wrote in his six-page ruling. "Once the election is over, the Court expects the Governor's legal team promptly to make arrangements for his appearance."
Kemp, a Republican who has come under fire from Trump for refusing his demands to help overturn Joe Biden's win in the 2020 election, faces Democrat Stacey Abrams in the Nov. 8 election.
“Judge McBurney acknowledged the potential political impact of the timing of these proceedings and correctly paused the Governor’s involvement until after the November election," Kemp's office said in a statement. "Just as we have since April 2021, we will work with the DA’s office and the judge to ensure a full accounting of the Governor’s limited role in the issues being investigated is available to the special grand jury."
A spokesperson, Jeff DiSantis, said that the DA’s office believes the judge was "correct" to require Kemp to testify and that it won't fight the delay. "The District Attorney’s office will not be appealing this decision based on the short timeline between today and Election Day,” DiSantis said.
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