Brad Raffensperger summoned to testify in Georgia election case’s transfer to federal court.
Get ready for a high-stakes hearing as Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and others take the stand to testify in a case challenging the state’s 2020 general election results.
A federal judge has ordered a hearing on Monday, August 28th, featuring prosecutor Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and Mark Meadows, who is seeking to move his case from state to federal court. Meadows, the former chief of staff to the president, is facing charges under Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, along with former President Donald Trump and 17 other defendants. Willis alleges that their actions constitute a “criminal racketeering enterprise,” while some of the defendants maintain their innocence.
On August 15th, Meadows filed a notice of removal from state court, claiming immunity under the supremacy clause. He argues that all the actions listed in the indictment were taken in his capacity as a federal official. He later filed a motion to dismiss all charges, presenting additional defenses.
The hearing will be overseen by U.S. District Court Judge Steve Jones of the Northern District of Georgia, an appointee of President Barack Obama.
Raffensperger and Frances Watson, the chief investigator for the Georgia Secretary of State, have been subpoenaed to testify at the hearing. Attorneys Kurt Hilbert and Alex Kaufman have also received subpoenas.
In the upcoming hearing, the prosecution plans to argue that Meadows’s actions were unrelated to his federal job and that he violated the Hatch Act by engaging in political activity.
Phone Call to Raffensperger
The 98-page indictment includes a total of 41 counts against the 19 defendants. Meadows is specifically charged with violating the RICO Act and soliciting a violation of oath by a public officer.
The indictment alleges that Meadows, along with President Trump, unlawfully solicited Raffensperger to alter or adjust the certified returns for presidential electors. Raffensperger is expected to testify about this matter.
The infamous phone call between the president and Raffensperger is at the heart of the case. In the recorded call, President Trump raised concerns about election fraud and requested an investigation. His statement, “All I want to do is this. I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have because we won the state,” gained widespread attention.
President Trump’s attorneys have recently defended the call, asserting that it falls under protected political speech.
“President Trump had every right to ask the Secretary of State: ‘I believe that this election was conducted improperly. There are deficiencies here. I want to see if there are more than 10,000 votes, or whatever the number was, that were counted illegally.’ Once again, that’s core political speech,” said attorney John Lauro on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
Raffensperger has not commented on the matter.
Alleged Acts of Racketeering
In addition to the phone call, Meadows is accused of various acts of racketeering as outlined in the indictment.
These include arranging meetings between President Trump and others, as well as attempting to observe a signature match audit in Cobb County Civic Center. Meadows also facilitated a phone call between the president and Ms. Watson, during which he allegedly inquired about expediting the signature verification process and offered financial assistance. Some media reports have characterized this as a bribe, while the president’s spokespersons have denied it.
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