A new book claims that Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina embraced Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who is prosecuting former President Donald Trump, after he provided testimony in the case, Politico reported on Wednesday.
Willis obtained an indictment against Trump and several other defendants on Aug. 19, on 41 different charges related to an alleged criminal racket to overturn the state’s 2020 presidential election results as well as the filing of false documents. Graham, who was briefly involved in Trump’s efforts before acknowledging Joe Biden’s victory in the election, testified before the grand jury in the case on Nov. 22, 2022, where he allegedly “turned on a dime and threw Trump under the bus” and attempted to hug Willis after his testimony, according to Politico.(RELATED: Top Prosecutor In Trump Election Case Met With White House Counsel Before Indictment)
“That was so cathartic…I feel so much better,” said Graham to Willis after his testimony to the grand jury during an encounter in the courthouse where he testified, Politico reported. Graham thanked Willis for the “opportunity to tell his story” and, then, attempted to hug Willis.
Now, the best thing that can happen for our party and our country is to focus on the upcoming general election, as it is abundantly clear the Republican Party favors Donald Trump to be our nominee in 2024.
The sooner we unite, the better.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) January 24, 2024
“‘She was like “whatever, dude,”’ according to one witness of the strange encounter,” recounted Politico. The extracts were quoted from a chapter in a book by Michael Isikoff and Daniel Klaidmanin, titled “Find Me the Votes: A Hard-Charging Georgia Prosecutor, a Rogue President, and the Plot to Steal an American Election,” which is scheduled to be published on Tuesday.
PICKENS, SOUTH CAROLINA – JULY 1: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) speaks to crowd during a campaign event for former president Donald Trump on July 1, 2023 in Pickens, South Carolina. Graham was repeatedly booed by the crowd of Trump supporters. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
Graham also allegedly disparaged Trump’s character to the grand jury, “[suggesting] to the grand jurors that Trump cheated at golf” and that Trump was gullible. “Graham testified that if you told Trump ‘That Martians came and stole the election, he’d probably believe you,” wrote Isikoff and Klaidmanin. (RELATED: ‘Get This Guy Out Of Here’: Lindsey Graham Shouts Down Reporter Asking Question About Rashida Tlaib)
“Senator Graham never spoke with the authors and what they are selling is pretty much total and complete BS,” wrote Kevin Bishop, a spokesperson for Graham. “At the end of the day, this is all just trash for left wing cash. Senator Graham has no problem with his testimony being made public and he is not scheduled to be a witness in the trial.”
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – AUGUST 14: Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis speaks at a news conference at the Fulton County Government building on August 14, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. A grand jury today handed up an indictment naming former President Donald Trump and his Republican allies over an alleged attempt to overturn the 2020 election results in the state. (Photo by Megan Varner/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 05: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) arrives for an all-senators closed briefing where they will hear from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky via video conference at the U.S. Capitol on December 05, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Graham had sought to avoid testifying before the grand jury by invoking his congressional immunity under the “speech or debate” clause in Article 1, Section 6 of the U.S. Constitution, which prevents members of Congress from being punished for anything they say during congressional proceedings that might otherwise violate the law, such as defamatory speech. His effort to block the grand jury’s subpoena was eventually rejected by the Supreme Court of the United States.
Since indicting Trump, Willis has been accused of spending public funds on publicity consultants and hiring a romantic partner as a special prosecutor on the case. Investigations into her conduct has been announced by the Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary and proposed in the Georgia state Senate, while the Fulton County Commissioner has since issued production requests for documents to review her office’s spending.
Graham has endorsed Trump’s campaign for the presidency in the 2024 presidential election.
Willis and Trump’s campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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