Lindsey Graham Loses Bid to Quash Subpoena in Trump Election Probe but Judge Limits Scope of Questioning

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) has lost his bid to quash a subpoena for his testimony before a special grand jury in Georgia that’s probing possible unlawful interference in the 2020 election.

Federal judge Leigh Martin May denied Graham’s motion on Thursday, stating that “after due consideration, the Court again declines to quash the subpoena in its entirety.”

The ruling came after lawyers for Graham last week asked the court to ensure that all topics were off limits in the inquiry.

However, the judge did grant Graham a partial victory by limiting the scope of the subpoena; specifically stating that Graham may not be questioned over his “investigatory fact-finding on telephone calls to Georgia election officials” during his testimony.

That was in reference to phone calls Graham made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and his staff in the weeks after the 2020 election between former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden.

Lawyers for Graham have contended that his phone calls to Raffensperger were part of a “legislative fact-finding”

“As to the issue of partial quashal, the Court quashes the subpoena only as to questions about Senator Graham’s investigatory fact-finding on the telephone calls to Georgia election officials, including how such information related to his decision to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election,” Judge May wrote in a court order (pdf).

“The Court finds that this area of inquiry falls under the protection of the Speech or Debate Clause, which prohibits questions on legislative activity,” Judge May wrote.

However, the judge noted that when it comes to other categories of questioning, “the Court finds that they are not legislative, and the Speech or Debate Clause does not apply to them.”

‘Never Inserted Himself Into The Electoral Process’

As such, Graham “may be questioned about any alleged efforts to encourage Secretary Raffensperger or others to throw out ballots or otherwise

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