ATLANTA — A federal judge on Monday indicated that a Georgia congressman couldn’t kill a subpoena from the Fulton County special grand jury studying whether former President Donald Trump and his allies illegally tried to sway Georgia’s 2020 elections.
Judge Leigh Martin May of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia said she planned to deny a request from U.S. Rep. Jody Hice, R-Greensboro, to quash his summons. May, however, acknowledged that Hice may be back in federal court if he objects to specific questions asked by prosecutors or jurors that deal with his role as a U.S. House member.
Hice’s attorneys had cited the U.S. Constitution’s “Speech or Debate” clause, which shields members of Congress from being questioned in court about their legislative activities and the motivations behind them. They also argued that Hice was considered a “high-ranking official,” a special designation that includes its own high legal standard for when witnesses are compelled to talk to a grand jury.
