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Donald Trump has been recorded pressuring Georgia’s secretary of state to overturn the victory of US President-elect Joe Biden in the state on a tape obtained by the Washington Post.
The conversation is primarily between Trump and Brad Raffensperger, Georgia’s Republican secretary of state, but Trump’s allies, including Mark Meadows, the White House chief of staff, and attorney Cleta Mitchell, were also present, as was Ryan. Germany, Raffensperger’s attorney general. These are the main points:
1. Trump sought to change the outcome of the elections
On the call, Trump pressured Raffensperger to “find 11,780 votes.”
“The people of Georgia are angry, the people of the country are angry,” Trump said. “And there’s nothing wrong with saying, you know, um, that you’ve recalculated.” Later he pleaded, “So what are we going to do here, friends? I only need 11,000 votes. Friends, I need 11,000 votes. Give me a break.”
Joe Biden won in Georgia. The result has been certified and Biden’s electoral college victory will be ratified by Congress on Wednesday.
2. Trump tried to intimidate Raffensperger
Trump insisted: “There is no way I was losing Georgia. There is no way. We won by hundreds of thousands of votes. “He went on to suggest that Raffensperger could face a criminal investigation.” You know what they did and you’re not reporting it, “Trump said.” You know, that’s a crime. And you know, you can’t let that. This is a big risk for you and Ryan. [Germany], his lawyer. That is a great risk. “
3. Trump applied pressure on Georgia’s runoff
Trump told Raffensperger that failing to act by Tuesday would be hurting the chances of Georgia Republicans David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler in the second round of this week’s election, which will determine whether Democrats or Republicans control the Senate. Referring to the second round in the convocation, Trump said: “It would be respected, really respected, if this can be fixed before the elections.”
4. Raffensperger continued to confront Trump
Raffensperger is a Republican who has rejected Trump and insisted that Biden’s victory in Georgia was fair. Responding to Trump, he said, “Well, Mr. President, the challenge you have is that the data you have is wrong.”
When Trump claimed that more than 5,000 votes were cast in the state by deceased people, Raffensperger responded: “The real number was two. Two. Two people who were dead who voted. “
5. Trump may have committed a crime
University of Richmond law professor Carl Tobias said Trump could be “in legal danger after Biden’s inauguration.” In an email to The Guardian, he wrote: “For example, if the US Department of Justice or prosecutors believe Trump violated federal law, or if local prosecutors in states like Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, and Wisconsin, where Trump may having engaged in similar behavior with state or local election officials, they believe Trump violated state election laws, federal or state prosecutors could file a lawsuit against Trump. “
Richard H. Pildes, a constitutional law professor at New York University, told the Washington Post: “The president is knowingly trying to coerce state officials to corrupt the integrity of the election or he is so deluded that he believes what he says. is saying “. Trump’s actions may have violated federal statutes, he said.
Michael R. Bromwich, former federal prosecutor for the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, wrote: “Unless there are parts of the tape that somehow deny criminal intent, ‘I just want to find 11,780 votes’ and his threats against Raffensperger and his attorney violate 52 United States Code 20511 “.
6. Trump refused to back down
Sunday Trump tweeted: “I spoke with Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger yesterday about Fulton County and voter fraud in Georgia. He was unwilling, or unable, to answer questions like the ‘ballot under the table’ scam, destruction of ballots, ‘voters’ from other states, dead voters, and more. You have no idea! “
Twitter tagged the tweet with the disclaimer: “This claim about voter fraud is in dispute,” and Raffensperger responded to Trump’s claims with a tweet that read, “Respectfully, President Trump, what you are saying is not true.”
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