Text messages sent from a former Georgia state aide to former President Donald Trump’s Chief of staff Mark Meadows detail how exasperating and appalling Trump’s demands to overturn his loss in the state truly were to those listening to his rantings on a phone call in January 2021.
The call took place before the attack on United States Capitol building on January 6, 2021. Trump, Meadows, other White House aides and Brad Raffensperger, Georgia Secretary of States (R), his legal counsel and other aides were involved.
During the conversation between them, Trump demanded that they be able to prove election fraud. that Raffensperger and other election officials “find” him 11,780 votes — the exact number he needed in order to overturn the win in the state by President Joe Biden. Raffensperger explained to Trump he didn’t have the authority to do so. Trump, meanwhile, made a number of comments during the conversation — including suggesting Raffensperger and his lawyer could face legal repercussions for refusing to help him — that Raffensperger later said The threats made against him by the former President felt like threats.
According to a recent court filing, some of Raffensperger’s aides, though silent on the call, were busily texting Meadows during the conversation, urging him to discontinue the call and the demands from Trump.
“Need to end this call. I don’t think this will be productive much longer,” wrote Raffensperger aide Jordan Fuchs to Meadows.
Meadows finally finished the call. Fuchs, then serving as deputy secretary-of-state, then texted Meadows again. Fuchs indicated that he found the call particularly draining.
“Thank you. Wow,” she wrote to Meadows.
The text message conversation between Fuchs and Meadows may eventually be entered as evidence in Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’s investigation into the call. Willis has formed a special grand jury to assist her inquiry. This is to determine if any state laws have been broken by Trump’s White House staff in their attempt to get Raffensperger cooperate with them to reverse the election results.
Monday that grand jury was officially seated, with 26 individuals — 23 members of the grand jury itself and three alternates. The grand jury will continue in place for up one year, beginning this week. the jury’s work won’t officially begin until JuneThis is after the state primaries are over.
Although it’s unclear what, if any, charges the special grand jury could eventually recommend to Willis, the investigation appears centered around Trump’s comments during that phone conversation. By telling Raffensperger to “find” him votes — and furthermore, by suggesting the Georgia secretary of state could face repercussions for not doing so — Trump may have violated a Georgia state law that says it’s illegal to coerce state electionElection fraud is a crime that officials are encouraged to engage in.
