For some he is a hero, for others a hate figure. And in the foreseeable future, Brad Raffensperger could become a key witness in a historic trial in the state of Georgia that could put ex-President Trump behind bars if convicted. Under Southern law, those found guilty of conspiring to commit voter fraud, intentionally interfering with the conduct of an election, or promoting voter fraud face draconian penalties. A pardon by the governor or the US President would be impossible.
–
The District Attorney for Fulton County, a county that includes large parts of Atlanta, Fani Willis, on Thursday gave the go-ahead for a trial that could be dangerous for Trump. If the competent judge grants your application for the convening of a “grand jury”, Raffensperger will be summoned. The Secretary of State responsible for conducting the presidential elections in Georgia would then have to answer questions.
–
The Republican should then have enough legal protection to spread how Trump pressured him to manipulate the results after Joe Biden’s narrow victory in Georgia. Prosecutor Williams calls Raffensperger “an essential witness” in the application.
–
The prosecution has an easy time because they have transcripts of a Jan. 2 phone call that The Washington Post reported three days later. Trump gets straight to the point. He’s complaining about alleged irregularities that led to his narrow deficit in Georgia. “It’s a big risk for you,” President Raffensperger threatened with consequences. “I warn you”. Then Trump makes his demands. “All I want is this: Find me 11,780 votes, that’s one more we need because we won the state.”
–
Raffensperger did not allow himself to be boiled down and certified the election result and Biden’s victory. Since then he has been considered a traitor in the Trump world and has received death threats. Which explains his reluctance to voluntarily cooperate with the District Attorney. Republican Gov. Brian Kemp also came under pressure from the President not to approve the list of state electrodes for the Dec. 14 Electoral Convention.
–
Not an isolated case. Seven contested close-run states submitted false certificates in mid-December with “alternative voters” voting for Trump’s re-election.
–
According to the American electoral system, the president is elected in 50 states. The winner receives all the pre-listed electors, who then meet in the state houses and transmit their votes to the National Archives and the Vice President. On January 6, 2021, his task was to determine the result at a joint meeting of both chambers in Congress.
–
As various US media are now reporting, there is now strong evidence that this silent coup to refuse Biden the presidency was dreamed up and coordinated by Trump and his team. Trump’s house attorney Rudy Giuliani, who mobilized for the “fake” certificates, was in charge.
–
And Trump’s White House Chief of Staff, Mark Meadows, who commented on the idea of securing his boss a second term via “alternative electrodes” in a text message with the words: “I like that”. He pledged his participation. “We have a team that takes care of it.”
–
This included the caller who called a Republican member of the State House in Michigan “on behalf of President Trump” and left a message on the answering machine. In it, she asks the Republican to “become part of a historic effort” and “send electors to support President Trump and Vice President Pence.”
–
Pence’s chief of staff, Marc Short, told the Washington Post that there was “no legal basis” for accepting these lists of alternate Trump electors. Pence’s obstinate refusal may have prompted the decision to use force to thwart certification on Jan. 6 by Congressional storming.
–
Investigators on the January 6 investigative committee in the House of Representatives made a breakthrough on Wednesday when the US Supreme Court allowed access to White House documents in the National Archives. Trump no longer has the opportunity to withhold possible evidence. Shortly after the verdict, the agency began investigating thousands of pages of requested material.
–
Congressional investigators hope to get a clearer picture of what Trump himself did on January 6 and to what extent he personally directed the events. Ivanka Trump, who summoned the committee after it became known that she had twice appealed to her father to stop the violence of the insurgents, should also contribute to the clarification.
–
–
