In Westminster, Graham speaks to a grand jury’s finding

Not often does the South Carolina Apple Festival in Westminster serve as the backdrop for a national story.  But it happened yesterday afternoon when Senator Lindsey Graham, in Westminster for the Rotary Apple luncheon, held a media availability following reports that the Georgia grand jury probing election interference recommended charges against South Carolina’s senior senator, as well as against several others.  However, a decision was made to not pursue indictments against Graham and the others.  Graham’s office released the transcript of reporters’ questions and the senator’s responses.  Here are parts:

“Reporter:  How would you describe your testimony in front of the special grand jury?  And how did you feel about that? And how long was it?”

“Senator Graham:  It was a couple of hours.  I told the people the truth as I knew it to be.  And all I can say is that what I did in Georgia was explained to the grand jury, the process that I followed to make a decision as United States Senator, Chairman of the Judiciary Committee.  I voted to certify the election. To suggest I’m part of some grand scheme to overturn the election makes no sense, given my actions.  It speaks to where we’re at more than anything else.  It’s me today.  It could be somebody else tomorrow. So I would urge the country to understand that political differences are real.  Let’s calm down a bit here.  And all I can say is that as a United States senator, you owe it to your constituents, to be to explain yourself in one of the most high-profile elections made in US history.  So I feel comfortable with my vote to certify the election.  I feel comfortable with the questions I asked.  At the end of the day, I did my job.  And the day that that becomes criminalized is very bad for the country.”

“Reporter:  Senator, some might say that you know, that you hitched your wagon to Donald Trump and his party.  And you’ve been pulled into this because you follow him.  Are you still hitching your wagon to Donald Trump…?”

“Senator Graham:  You know, I think a lot of these efforts is to marginalize Donald Trump as a political figure.”  But what I am trying to tell people, that the election was contested by President Trump and others, and I had to vote.  I did my job to figure out what’s best for me, as a Senator, how to vote:  Whether or not I should have the hearing?  There are many people in this country who believe the law has become a political weapon.  We’ll see what happens in these cases.  At the end of the day, it’s over for me.  But what I do worry about is if this becomes the norm, then it’s going to be very difficult for this country to move forward.  Where you have county prosecutors that can potentially bring charges against federal officials who are clearly doing their job.”