Sad Lindsey - Part 2

A federal judge has for the second time rejected Sen. Lindsey Graham’s effort to block a grand jury subpoena issued by the Atlanta-area district attorney investigating former President Donald Trump and his allies’ effort to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia.

In a 23-page order, U.S. District Court Judge Leigh Martin May ruled that the South Carolina Republican’s claim to be immune from such questioning — thanks to the protections of the so-called speech or debate clause of the Constitution — is not as sweeping as Graham claimed it to be.

  Politico

Oh my, what a surprise.

Graham, a close Trump ally, had centered his argument on concerns that District Attorney Fani Willis intends to question him about two phone calls he held with Georgia election officials in the aftermath of the 2020 election. Those calls, Graham contends, were primarily about potential legislative work to remedy election policies and to inform his upcoming vote on Jan. 6, 2021, when Congress met to certify the results of the 2020 election.

[...]

But May noted that Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and his deputy Gabriel Sterling recalled the discussions with Graham differently, suggesting he had cajoled them to change their procedures in a way that could potentially influence the 2020 results after votes had been cast, not as part of some forward-looking policy mission.

[...]

May, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, agreed that the grand jury should be prohibited from questioning Graham about any parts of his phone calls that relate to crafting legislation, policy or that contributed to his consideration of his Jan. 6, 2021, vote to certify Electoral College results. However, she said those limits do not prohibit questioning about any efforts he made to pressure Georgia officials to change their procedures in the middle of their recounts.

Ooops.

The ruling sends the matter back to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

[...]

Graham’s office sidestepped the judge’s harsh assessment of his arguments, instead focusing on the narrow limits she agreed to apply to the grand jury’s questioning and emphasized his battle to contest the subpoena would continue.

“We are pleased that the district court recognized that Senator Graham’s testimony is protected by the Speech or Debate Clause,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “He will continue to defend the institutional interests of the Senate and the Constitution before the Eleventh Circuit.”

[...]

[AG Willis] indicated to reporters earlier this week that she has interviewed about 60 percent of the witnesses she intends to call and is fighting to secure testimony from a slew of others fighting her subpoenas, such Trump-allied attorney Kenneth Chesebro. Trump attorney John Eastman appeared before the grand jury Wednesday and indicated through his attorneys that he pleaded the Fifth and asserted attorney-client privilege.

And Graham, et al., could simply do the same. Apparently, they are filing frivolously, simply intending to postpone the inevitable.

Willis has said she hopes to finalize the investigation by the end of the calendar year.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

UPDATE 11/1:

Lindsey is out of delay tactics.