The Saturday night letter from Trump counsel Ray Smith to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is short but not sweet: “On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, in his capacity as the Republican candidate for president of the United States and President Donald J. Trump Inc., a recount is hereby demanded …” At the same time the Nov. 3rd general election letter asking for a “robust recount” (Smith’s words) was sent, the state Republican Party executive committee backed Gov. Brian Kemp’s Friday call for an absentee ballot audit of the statewide Trump-Biden election.
The GOP committee’s letter to Raffensperger is also blunt:
“As you are aware, we urged you during the general election to issue a bulletin authorizing our monitors to observe the absentee ballot verification process. This bulletin was regrettably not issued and we have grave concerns as to whether or not proper verification took place. “In Fulton County, two members of the Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections voted against certifying the returns of the election because of concerns over absentee ballot verification in that county. Georgia Republican Party Chairman David Shafer and Congressman Doug Collins on behalf of President Donald J. Trump wrote to you immediately after the election requesting an audit of the absentee ballots cast in the 2020 General Election prior to certifying the returns. “On Friday, after you certified the returns without auditing the absentee ballots, Governor Brian Kemp publicly called on you to conduct an absentee ballot audit. “We write today, as members of the State Executive Committee of the Georgia Republican Party and citizens of the State of Georgia, to urge you, in the strongest possible terms, to order an immediate audit of the absentee ballots cast in the 2020 General Election. This audit must include verification of signature match.”
GOP Legislative Rumblings & lawsuits
InsiderAdvantage has learned that Republican members of both the state Senate and House caucuses are frustrated and upset that more is not being done to address election integrity, as GOP leadership in a couple other state legislatures are doing. Some GOP lawmakers say there must be hearings now on election fraud as well as on reform proposals, especially when it comes to requiring the showing of photo IDs for mail-in absentee ballots (just like the law is for every in-person ballot before it is cast).
As for the federal lawsuit by Trump attorneys seeking to address the “equal protection vote” and other arguments concerning the Nov. 3rd electoral count, expect that filing, as well as one in a state court, to now occur Friday instead of today or tomorrow.
