Rudy Giuliani was temporarily excused from appearing in Fulton County Superior Court during an investigation into alleged voter fraud.
The former mayor of New York City previously served as an attorney for President Donald Trump.
Georgia is currently investigating claims that Trump, Giuliani and other associates tried to illegally interfere in the 2020 general election. Giuliani had been ordered to appear before a grand jury on Aug. 9.
On Aug. 8, Judge Robert McBurney excused Giuliani from appearing, according to a statement from his attorney, Robert Costello. McBurney gave Giuliani one additional week to travel to Atlanta after a doctor said he could not travel by airplane. Giuliani recently underwent a cardiac procedure to implant stents in his heart.
“Giuliani’s lawyers first attempted to shift his testimony to Zoom and also suggested district attorney staff travel to New York to interview him, prosecutors explained Tuesday,” per Axios.
“It is important to note here that Mr. Giuliani is no way seeking to inappropriately delay, or obstruct these proceedings or avoid giving evidence or testimony that is not subject to some claim of privilege in this matter,” the motion stated, per AP News. “Mr. Giuliani is willing to do the same here under conditions that replicate a grand jury proceeding.”
The district attorney’s office opposed the motion and insisted Giuliani appear in person, claiming social media posts indicated the former mayor had traveled since his procedure.
Giuliani is now scheduled to testify on Aug. 17.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Williams has alleged Trump and his supporters carried out “a multi-state, coordinated plan by the Trump Campaign to influence the results of the November 2020 election in Georgia and elsewhere,” per Fox 5 Atlanta.
Williams filed a motion to investigate 16 alleged “fake electors” in connection to the election probe in late July. McBurney denied 12 of the motions.
“An investigation of this significance, garnering the public attention it necessarily does and touching so many political nerves in our society, cannot be burdened by legitimate doubts about the District Attorney’s motives,” McBurney wrote in his order, per CNBC. “The District Attorney does not have to be apolitical, but her investigations do.”
Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina has been subpoenaed to testify before the grand jury. Attorneys for the senator have said he intends to fight the summons and that he did not interfere in the Georgia election. A hearing for a motion to quash Graham’s subpoena is set for Aug. 10.
