How Raffensperger nailed Donald Trump

| 10:00 am EST January 5, 2021
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The fallout from Donald Trump’s ill-advised call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger continues. According to the Washington Post, Raffensperger learned his lesson after Lindsey Graham denied asking him to throw out votes and recorded the call with Trump. Raffensperger feared that Trump would “unethically pressure” him, and out of an abundance of caution, his advisors suggested he tape the call. They made the right decision.

An unnamed adviser told WaPo that Trump “is a man who has a history of reinventing history as it occurs.” He or she then said, “Lindsey Graham asked us to throw out legally cast ballots. So, yeah, after that call, we decided maybe we should do this.” It is shameful that some people in our government cannot be trusted, even by others in the government. That is a statement to the politics with which we are currently faced. It is further shameful that Gabriel Sterling of the Georgia Secretary of State’s office had to give a press conference today to dispel “the disinformation” being spread “by people in authority.”

Obviously, Trump was not aware that he was being recorded. As WaPo shared, Raffensperger’s office kept it quiet until Trump took to Twitter to once again disparage Raffensperger, who then tweeted “Respectfully, President Trump, what you’re saying is not true. The truth will come out,” and it did. Now, others are weighing in on Trump’s actions. Georgia conservative talk show host Erick Erickson tweeted: “This phone call is bad.” Like other Republicans in Georgia, Erickson is concerned that Trump’s visit will now just make things worse. Mark J. Worley, an Atlanta attorney and only Democratic member of the Georgia Election Board, has asked Raffensperger to open an investigation into the call.

Worley told WaPo: “It’s a crime to solicit election fraud and asking the secretary to change the votes is a textbook definition of election fraud.” Worley explained the process. Once a complaint is made, the Secretary of State opens an investigation. The results of that investigation are forwarded to the elections board, which decides whether probable cause exists to refer the case for prosecution. Worley told WaPo that a similar complaint was filed against Lindsey Graham by Michael Moore, a former U.S. Attorney.

Meanwhile, both Perdue and Loeffler are throwing their hats in with Trump. WaPo also reported that David Perdue said he saw nothing wrong with the call and went on to talk about “irregularities” in the voting in Georgia in November. What is “irregular” about more people wanting Biden than Trump is a mystery. Loeffler said that she will be returning to Washington after her race to join the other Republicans contesting certification. She had best hope she is still a Senator come Wednesday. Both of these Republican Senators are mighty confident in a state that has both turned blue and tired of Trump’s divisive ways. They may well find themselves in the same proverbial boat if they are not careful. From my fingers to God’s ear.