Former Georgia official called to grand jury in Atlanta, as Trump probe gathers steam

Former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan says an Atlanta-based prosecutor called him to testify Tuesday before a grand jury probing former President Donald Trump’s actions following his 2020 election loss in the state.

It is the latest sign that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is nearing an indictment of Mr. Trump and his associates over alleged efforts to pressure state officials to alter the results, set up fake electors and potentially access county voting systems.

A criminal indictment from the grand jury would mark Mr. Trump’s fourth as he runs for the Republican presidential nomination. A special grand jury in Fulton County had been gathering evidence, but new witnesses are expected to appear before a regular grand jury, which has the power to approve or reject charges. The panel could act in the coming days.

“I did just receive notification to appear on Tuesday morning at the Fulton County grand jury, and I certainly will be there to do my part in recounting the facts,” Mr. Duncan told CNN over the weekend. “I have no expectations as to the questions, and I’ll certainly answer whatever questions are put in front of me.”

An independent journalist, George Chidi, also said he received a notice from Ms. Willis to appear before the grand jury.

An indictment from Ms. Willis’ long-running investigation would be notable because it would level state charges, meaning Mr. Trump could not pardon himself if he wins the White House in 2024. Security barricades have been set up around the county courthouse in Atlanta.

Ms. Willis started investigating Mr. Trump in part due to a phone call he made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in which he asked state officials to “find” the votes he needed to win the state.

Mr. Trump says he did nothing wrong and it was a “perfect call.”

The ex-president, writing on Truth Social, criticized Mr. Duncan for refusing to hold a special legislative session to reexamine the 2020 results.

“I am reading reports that failed former Lt. Governor of Georgia, Jeff [sic] Duncan, will be testifying before the Fulton County Grand Jury,” Mr. Trump wrote. “He shouldn’t. I barely know him but he was, right from the beginning of this Witch Hunt, a nasty disaster for those looking into the Election Fraud that took place in Georgia.”

Mr. Trump repeated his unproven claim the election was stolen from him and that rivals tampered with the results.

“They are the slime that should be prosecuted,” he wrote in all caps. “I made a perfect phone call of protest.”

Separately, a CNN report cited evidence of a potential connection between an unauthorized breach of election systems in Coffee County, Georgia, and Mr. Trump’s orbit.

The report, citing text messages, says Coffee County officials sent a written invitation to examine voting systems to Mr. Trump’s team. The messages suggest former New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani — a Trump attorney — was involved in the scheme, though an attorney for Mr. Giuliani told CNN he had “nothing to do with this.”