Sen. Lindsey Graham

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham is citing the "speech or debate" clause of the Constitution as he tries to avoid testifying before a special grand jury that's investigating whether former President Donald Trump and others tried to illegally influence the 2020 election in Georgia. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis wants to ask the South Carolina Republican about two phone calls they say he made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and his staff in the weeks after the 2020 general election. Graham's attorneys have argued that the calls were made as part of his legislative duties.

A federal appeals court has agreed to temporarily put on hold a lower court's order requiring that U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham testify before a special grand jury that's investigating possible illegal efforts to overturn then-President Donald Trump's 2020 presidential election loss in Georgia. A subpoena had instructed the South Carolina Republican to appear before the special grand jury on Tuesday. U.S. District Judge Leigh Martin May on Monday denied Graham's request to quash his subpoena and on Friday rejected his effort to put her decision on hold while he appealed. Graham's lawyers appealed to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. A three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit on Sunday issued an order temporarily pausing May's order declining to quash the subpoena.

A federal judge says Sen. Lindsey Graham can't put off his appearance before a special grand jury investigating whether then-President Donald Trump and others illegally tried to influence the 2020 election in Georgia. Earlier this week, U.S. District Judge Leigh Martin May ordered the South Carolina Republican to honor his subpoena for the grand jury. Graham's attorneys appealed that order to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and asked May to stay her ruling while that appeal plays out. May declined that request on Friday. Graham is currently scheduled to appear before the special grand jury on Tuesday. Representatives for Graham did not immediately respond Friday to messages seeking comment on May's ruling.

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham has formally appealed a judge's order requiring him to testify before a special grand jury investigating whether former President Donald Trump and others illegally sought to overturn his 2020 election defeat in Georgia. A judge had ruled that the South Carolina Republican comply with prosecutors' efforts to compel him to testify Aug. 23 about his phone calls to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and his staff after the election. Graham's appeal was made Wednesday, the same day that another Trump associate, former campaign attorney Rudy Giuliani, spent roughly six hours before the special grand jury in Atlanta.

A federal judge says U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham must testify before a special grand jury in Atlanta. The panel is investigating whether then-President Donald Trump and his allies broke any laws while trying to overturn his 2020 general election loss in the state. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis opened the investigation last year. A special grand jury with subpoena power was seated at Willis' request. Prosecutors have indicated they want to ask Graham about phone calls they say he made to Georgia's secretary of state and his staff following the election.

Prosecutors in Atlanta say U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham may be able to provide insight into the extent of any coordinated efforts to influence the results of the 2020 general election in Georgia. They argued in a federal court hearing Wednesday that that's why they need Graham to testify before a special grand jury. The panel is investigating whether former President Donald Trump and his allies committed crimes as they sought to overturn his narrow election loss in Georgia. Lawyers for Graham argued that his position as a U.S. senator protects him from having to appear before the special grand jury.

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham has challenged a subpoena to testify before a special grand jury investigating whether then-President Donald Trump and others broke any laws when they tried to overturn Joe Biden's win in Georgia. Graham's lawyers wrote in a court filing Friday the South Carolina Republican received a subpoena ordering him to appear before the special grand jury Aug. 23. Graham is challenging the subpoena in federal court rather than before the Fulton County Superior Court judge overseeing the special grand jury. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis says Graham called Georgia's secretary of state and members of his staff after Trump's loss and asked about reexamining absentee ballots.

Attorneys for Sen. Lindsey Graham say he wasn't trying to interfere in Georgia's 2020 election when he called state officials to ask them to reexamine certain absentee ballots after President Donald Trump's narrow loss to Democrat Joe Biden. The arguments came in a court filing Tuesday as Graham challenges a subpoena compelling him to testify before a special grand jury in Georgia that's investigating Trump and his allies' actions after the 2020 election. Graham was one of a handful of Trump confidants and lawyers named in petitions filed last week by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.

Attorneys representing Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina say he intends to challenge a subpoena compelling him to testify before a special grand jury in Georgia investigating ex-President Donald Trump and his allies' actions after the 2020 election. Graham was among a handful of Trump allies and members of his campaign legal team named Tuesday in petitions filed by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. Graham attorneys Bart Daniel and Matt Austin said Wednesday that Graham "plans to go to court, challenge the subpoena, and expects to prevail."

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham says he won't vote for Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson. He expressed concerns about her record despite supporting her confirmation as an appeals court judge last year. The South Carolina senator's announcement Thursday was expected after he criticized Jackson during her four days of hearings last week. But it gives Democrats one less Republican vote as they seek bipartisan backing for President Joe Biden's pick to replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer. Graham, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska were the only three Republicans to vote to confirm Jackson on the appeals court in 2021.