Donald Trump has been recorded pressuring the Georgia Secretary of State to reverse US President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the state, on a bond obtained by the Washington Post.
The conversation is mainly between Trump and Brad Raffensperger, the Republican Secretary of State for Georgia, but Trump allies including Mark Meadows, White House Chief of Staff, and attorney Cleta Mitchell were also in attendance, as well as Ryan Germany, Raffensperger’s general counsel. Here are the main points:
1. Trump tried to change the election results
During the call, Trump pressed Raffensperger to find “11,780 votes.”
“The people in Georgia are angry, the people in the country are angry,” Trump said. “And there’s nothing wrong with saying you’ve recalculated it.” Later he pleaded, ‘So what are we going to do here folks? I only need 11,000 votes. Guys, I need 11,000 votes. Give me a break.”
Joe Biden won Georgia. The result has been confirmed and the victory of Biden’s electoral college will be ratified by Congress on Wednesday.
2. Trump tried to intimidate Raffensperger
Trump insisted, ‘I have not lost Georgia in any way. There is no way. We won with hundreds of thousands of votes. He then suggested that Raffensperger could undergo a criminal investigation. “You know what they’ve done and you don’t report it,” Trump said. “You know, that’s a criminal offense. And you know, you can’t. That is a big risk for you and for Ryan [Germany], your lawyer. That is a big risk. “
3. Trump put pressure on Georgia’s runoff
Trump told Raffensperger that if he didn’t act on Tuesday, he would hurt Georgian Republicans David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler’s chances in this week’s second election, which will determine whether the Democrats or the Republicans control the Senate. Referring to the run-offs in the call, Trump said, “You would be respected, really respected, if this can be rectified before the election.”
4. Raffensperger continued to oppose Trump
Raffensperger is a Republican who has pushed back against Trump, insisting that Biden’s victory in Georgia was fair. In response 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 ballots had been cast by dead people in the state, Raffensperger replied, “The actual number was two. Two. Two people who voted. “
5. Trump may have committed a crime
Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond, said Trump may be “in legal danger after Biden is inaugurated.” In an email to the Guardian, he wrote, “ For example, if the Department of Justice or U.S. attorneys believe Trump has violated federal law, or if local prosecutors in states like Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, and Wisconsin, where Trump possible similar behavior with state or local election officials, believing Trump violated state election laws, federal or prosecutors could press charges against Trump. “
Richard H. Pildes, a professor of constitutional law at New York University, told the Washington Post, “The president is deliberately trying to force state officials to corrupt the integrity of the election, or has been so deceived as to believe what he says.” Trump’s actions may have violated federal statutes, he said.
Michael R Bromwich, a former federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, wrote, “ Unless there are parts of the tape that somehow debunk criminal intent, ‘I just want to vote 11,780 find “and Raffensperger and his counsel violate 52 US Code 20511.”
6. Trump refused to withdraw
On 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 such as the “ballot under the table” scam, ballot destruction, out-of-state “voters,” dead voters, and more. He has no idea! “
Twitter tagged the tweet with the disclaimer, “This election fraud allegation is disputed,” and Raffensperger responded to Trump’s allegations with a tweet that said, “With respect, President Trump, what you’re saying is not true.”