U.S. Supreme Court's Thomas temporarily blocks Graham election case testimony - Reuters

Oct 24 (Reuters) - U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas connected Monday temporarily blocked a judge's bid requiring Senator Lindsey Graham to attest to a expansive assemblage successful Georgia successful a transgression probe into whether then-President Donald Trump and his allies unlawfully tried to overturn 2020 predetermination results successful the state.

Thomas enactment the lawsuit connected clasp pending further enactment either from the justness oregon the afloat Supreme Court connected a petition by Graham, a Republican from South Carolina and Trump ally, to halt the bid for testimony. Graham filed the exigency exertion to the Supreme Court connected Friday aft a national appeals tribunal denied his petition to artifact the questioning.

Thomas acted successful the lawsuit due to the fact that helium is designated by the tribunal to grip exigency requests from a portion that includes Georgia.

Graham has argued that his presumption arsenic a legislator provides him immunity nether the U.S. Constitution's "speech oregon debate" clause from having to reply questions related to his actions arsenic portion of the legislative process.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has subpoenaed Graham to reply questions astir telephone calls helium made to a elder Georgia predetermination authoritative successful the weeks aft the November 2020 election.

Atlanta-based U.S. District Judge Leigh Martin May past period narrowed the scope of questions that Graham indispensable reply from the expansive jury, ruling that helium is protected from having to sermon "investigatory fact-finding" that helium was engaged successful during his calls to authorities predetermination officials.

However, May said helium whitethorn beryllium questioned astir alleged efforts to promote officials to propulsion retired ballots oregon alleged connection with the Trump campaign. May rejected Graham's bid to debar testifying altogether.

The Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals connected Thursday declined to artifact Graham's grounds pending an appeal.

Graham is not a people successful the probe but his grounds could shed further airy connected coordination among Trump allies to reverse the predetermination results.

The senator's lawyers said successful his exertion that the grounds would "undisputedly halfway connected Senator Graham's authoritative acts - telephone calls helium made successful the people of his authoritative work, successful the leadup to the captious ballot nether the Electoral Count Act."

Trump continues to look astatine rallies repeating his mendacious claims that the 2020 predetermination won by Democrat Joe Biden was stolen from him done wide voting fraud.

The probe was launched aft Trump was recorded successful a Jan. 2, 2021, telephone telephone pressuring Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to overturn the state's predetermination results based connected unfounded claims of elector fraud. During the telephone call, Trump urged Raffensperger, a chap Republican, to "find" capable votes to overturn his Georgia nonaccomplishment to Biden.

The transcript of the telephone quotes Trump telling Raffensperger: "I conscionable privation to find 11,780 votes," which is the fig Trump needed to triumph Georgia. Trump has denied wrongdoing successful the telephone call.

Legal experts person said Trump's telephone calls whitethorn person violated astatine slightest 3 authorities predetermination laws: conspiracy to perpetrate predetermination fraud, transgression solicitation to perpetrate predetermination fraud and intentional interference with show of predetermination duties.

Reporting by Andrew Chung successful New York; Editing by Will Dunham

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