Judge orders Newt Gingrich to testify in Georgia election investigation

Nov. 9 (UPI) -- Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich must testify in front of a special grand jury in Georgia before the end of the month, a judge in Virginia ruled Wednesday.

Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Robert Smith sided with prosecutors in compelling Gingrich to testify in front of the special grand jury in Atlanta, which is investigating possible interference by then-president Donald Trump and others in the 2020 election in Georgia.

Gingrich has repeatedly attempted to avoid testifying in the probe, which was launched last year by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.

Willis is looking to question Gingrich about contact he had with Trump's campaign in 2020, when Gingrich is accused of pushing for television ads to promote "the false narrative that election workers had smuggled suitcases containing fake ballots" into a location where ballots were being counted.

Smith ruled Gingrich must appear in front of the grand jury before Nov. 29. The judge rejected the former speaker's argument that the appearance in Atlanta was "not necessary and would impose an undue hardship."

In court filings, Willis has called Gingrich a "necessary and material witness for the investigation."

Gingrich, 79, did not comment when leaving the courthouse in Fairfax, Va.

Attorney John Burlingame said his client would likely appeal the decision.

Gingrich has already agreed to be interviewed by the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. That interview is scheduled for Nov. 21.

Burlingame argued the upcoming appearance should spare Gingrich from the separate probe in Georgia, an assertion the judge disagreed with.

"I think I have to read the statute as written," Smith told the court in his ruling on Wednesday.

Smith's ruling comes just days after the Supreme Court rejected a request from Sen. Lindsey Graham. R-S.C., to block a grand jury subpoena for testimony in front of the same grand jury.

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger told the Washington Post Graham was among the notable Republicans to pressure him to toss out mail-in ballots in an attempt to overturn the election results. Graham asked the Supreme Court to intervene, arguing his conversation with Raffensperger was protected speech or debate.

Another high-profile member of Trump's inner circle, former personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, also attempted to block a subpoena and avoid testifying in the Georgia investigation. But the 78-year-old was eventually compelled to appear in August.