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Report: Atlanta jury in Trump, 2020 election investigation recommended multiple indictments

The jury forewoman told NBC News in an interview Tuesday that the list was "not short."

ATLANTA — A Fulton County special purpose grand jury recommended a range of criminal charges be brought against multiple people for their roles in attempting to overturn Georgia's 2020 presidential election results, the jury's foreperson told NBC News Tuesday. 

“It is not a short list,” she said.

Emily Kohrs, a 30-year-old Fulton County resident, declined to say who the jury recommended charges against. When asked if the jury found that former President Donald Trump should be indicted, Kohrs gave hints but did not answer.

“You’re not going to be shocked. It’s not rocket science,” she told the NYT. “You won’t be too surprised.”

11Alive made attempts to contact Kohrs on Tuesday, which have gone unreturned.

“I don't think that there are any giant plot twists coming," Kohrs told NBC News Tuesday. 

RELATED: Jury believes one or more witnesses may have lied in Trump 2020 election investigation, report says

The grand jury, which began its work in May 2022, issued subpoenas and heard testimony from key figures in Trump's orbit during the 2020 election. It finished its work last month.

Much of the special grand jury's report remains secret. A Fulton County Superior Court judge released sections of the document last week. 

In the released sections, jurors expressed concerns that one or more witnesses may have lied during testimony. The jury recommended that District Attorney Fani Willis seek indictments against those people in cases where the "evidence is compelling," according to the report.

The 23 jurors heard from more than 75 witnesses during its eight-month investigation. Those who testified range from attorney Rudy Giuliani and former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows to local election workers.

However, Willis did not subpoena Trump himself as part of the proceedings. It's unclear how he could handle potential criminal charges in Georgia.

Several of the former president's allies — among them Meadows, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, and former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn — unsuccessfully fought Fulton County special grand jury testimony requests.

In August, Trump hired prominent Atlanta attorney Drew Findling to handle any matters that concern him in Fulton County. Findling has gained fame representing area rappers in criminal cases. He also recently has handled high-profile public corruption cases including those of former Atlanta Director of Human Services Mitzi Bickers and former Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill. 

From the start, Willis said she was interested in a Jan. 2, 2021, phone call between Trump and Sec. of State Brad Raffensperger during which the Republican president urged the state's top elections official to "find" the votes needed to reverse his narrow loss in the state to Democrat Joe Biden.

It has also become clear that she was interested in several other areas, including: 

  • the illegitimate slate of Republican electors from Georgia who falsely declared that Trump won the state

  • false statements about the election made by former New York mayor and Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani and others to state lawmakers

  • efforts to pressure Fulton County elections workers to admit wrongdoing

  • breaches of election equipment in rural Coffee County

  • the abrupt departure of U.S. Attorney BJay Pak in Atlanta in January 2021

Willis notified Giuliani and the GOP "alternate" electors that they could face criminal charges in the investigation.

Special grand juries in Georgia are generally used to investigate complex cases with many witnesses. They can compel evidence and subpoena testimony from witnesses, but they lack the power to indict.

To get indictments, Willis has to take cases to a separate, regular grand jury.

“I will tell you that if the judge releases the recommendations, it is not going to be some giant plot twist,” Kohrs told the NYT. “You probably have a fair idea of what may be on there. I’m trying very hard to say that delicately.”

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