Rudy Giuliani now a target in Georgia's election investigation, attorney says

Aug. 15 (UPI) -- Rudy Giuliani has been named a target in the investigation into possible criminal interference in Georgia's 2020 election and could face charges, according to his attorney.

Attorney Robert Costello confirmed Monday that Giuliani, former President Donald Trump's personal attorney, had moved from material witness to a target in the investigation for allegedly leading efforts to keep Trump in power.

Costello said he was informed about the change in designation by special prosecutor Nathan Wade and said that could mean Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis will bring charges. Giuliani's change in designation comes the same day a federal judge ordered Sen. Lindsey Graham to testify before a grand jury on Aug. 23 in Atlanta.

Giuliani is scheduled to appear before the grand jury on Wednesday after the former New York mayor delayed last week's testimony to recover from a medical procedure. Giuliani had two corona heart stents implanted in early July and had not been cleared for air travel.

Last week, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert C.I. McBurney gave Giuliani one more week to find another mode of transportation to Atlanta saying Giuliani could travel "on a train, on a bus or Uber."

Costello said in an interview Monday that Giuliani will likely invoke attorney-client privilege this week if asked about his dealings with Trump. "If these people think he's going to talk about conversations between him and President Trump, they're delusional," Costello said.

Last month, New York State Supreme Court Justice Thomas Farber ordered Giuliani to testify about appearances before Georgia's state Senate, in December 2020, where he and lawyer John Eastman blamed Trump's loss to Democrat Joe Biden on disproven claims of widespread voter fraud. Giuliani presented debunked accusations of corrupted voting machines and election workers producing "suitcases of unlawful ballots" at Atlanta's State Farm Arena.

While the Fulton County district attorney's office declined to comment Monday, Willis has said in the past that multiple defendants could face racketeering or conspiracy charges. At least 17 other people have already been designated as targets in the investigation, including 16 Trump supporters and state GOP officials who signed certificates claiming to be qualified presidential electors. Graham remains a material witness and has not been named a target.

A lawyer, who served as special counsel to the House Judiciary Committee during Trump's first impeachment and trial, said designating Giuliani as a target means Trump, who is also dealing with legal issues surrounding the FBI's search for documents at Mar-a-Lago, will likely become a target as well.

"There is no way Giuliani is a target of the D.A.'s investigation and Trump does not end up as one," attorney Norman Eisen said in an interview Monday. "They are simply too entangled factually and legally."