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☆ Officials brace for a flood of disinformation and legal claims as Election Day finally arrives
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-05 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Brandy-Zadrozny-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Brandy Zadrozny | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +9 min

As Election Day finally arrives, election officials, legal experts and researchers are bracing for a flood of disinformation and legal claims as vote counting begins. The final week of the campaign featured three dynamics that could lead to a protracted legal dispute if the results are close, legal experts said. Election experts say that if a clear winner emerges quickly and voting proceeds without major disruptions, large numbers of Americans may have faith in the results. A misleading advertisement from the Election Integrity Network says “The Glitch Is In” alongside a carousel of news coverage of such procedural Election Day issues. The Election Integrity Network’s founder, Cleta Mitchell, promotes her thousand-strong group as a kind of “national neighborhood watch.”Researchers also point to a new kind of infrastructure around documenting and sharing such rumors on Election Day.

Persons: Donald Trump, “ They’ve, ” Trump, Danielle Tomson, ”, ” Tomson, “, Jennifer Liewer, Chandan Khanna, Trump, noncitizens ’, Cleta Mitchell, Elon Musk, James O’Keefe, Mike Lindell, Ben Berwick, Berwick, ” Berwick, Olivier Touron, Kamala Harris, — Harris, — Organizations: University of Washington’s Center, Convention Center, Getty, Seattle, Center, Conservative, Trump, America PAC, Heritage Foundation, Protect Democracy, “, FBI, National Intelligence Director’s, Infrastructure Security Agency, Service, Naval, Convention, National Guard Locations: Allentown , Pennsylvania, Arizona, Liewer, Maricopa, Beach, West Palm Beach, Fla, Maricopa County, Ariz, Philadelphia, Phoenix, AFP, U.S, Russia, Beach County , Florida

☆ In Georgia, it’s Republican vs. Republican as election misinformation spreads
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-04 | by ( Sara Murray | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The deep mistrust between conservatives and Republican election officials in Georgia is hampering efforts to slow the tide of election misinformation swirling in this pivotal battleground state. Our systems are secure and our people are ready.”The best sources of accurate and timely election information have been state and election officials. But plenty of conservatives simply don’t believe what election officials are sharing, even when it is backed up by other sources. We have safeguards to protect elections from fraud.”Among Georgia state officials, there’s obvious frustration with the local conservative agitators. Janice Johnston, one of the conservative members of the Georgia State Election Board, recently posted “Danger!

Persons: Brad Raffensperger, Kylie Jane Kremer, Gabriel Sterling, Raffensperger —, Donald Trump —, Joe Biden, ” Raffensperger, ”, Karli Swift, Amy Kremer, Kylie Jane Kremer’s, Sterling, “, ” Sterling, Trump, ” Cleta Mitchell, Steve Bannon’s, Janice Johnston, that’s, ” Johnston, Johnston Organizations: CNN, Republican, Trump, Infrastructure Security Agency, Peach, Georgia GOP, CNN Conservatives, Republicans, Republican National Committee, Board Locations: Georgia, Russian, Atlanta, DeKalb County, ”, Fulton County, Gwinnett, Fulton

For years, Republican activists have huddled in video meetings to talk about remaking democracy and plan for the election. They successfully lobbied for new state election laws and procedures, diving deep into the intricacies of election regulations. Earlier this year, Ms. Mitchell said she was called by God to shift her attention to the possibility that noncitizens were voting. They were involved in recent attempts to make it easier for State Election Board members to hold up certification while they conduct inquiries into the vote. Ms. Mitchell has talked about a federal elections overhaul should Republicans win the White House and Congress.

Persons: Donald J, Cleta Mitchell, Rebecca Dunn, Richard Uihlein, —, Mark Meadows, Russell T, Trump, Mitchell, Trump’s, John Eastman, I’ve, Donald Trump, badgered, illegals ”, ”, ” Ms, “, ” Patrice Johnson, Mike Johnson, Chip Roy, Ron Armstrong, Richard Silvestri, Matthew Seifried, Seifried, Claire Zunk, Janine Iyer, Elizabeth Ayoub, “ Janine, Johnson, Ned Jones, John Richards Jr, don’t, Jim Womack, Mr, Jones, I’m, we’ve Organizations: Republican, The New York Times, Trump, Network, Republican National Committee, Bradley Impact Foundation, Conservative Partnership Institute, Trump White House, Citizens, Gateway Pundit, Federalist, Republicans, United States, Tea Party, Michigan, Mr, Republican Party, Michigan Fair, North, United Sovereign Americans, American Legislative Exchange Council, White House Locations: America, In Nevada, Georgia, Texas, United, Michigan, Ron Armstrong , Michigan, chimed, Trump, Georgia , Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina

In North Carolina, the signs read in Spanish, “WARNING: if you are not a citizen of the United States of America, you cannot vote in elections. Earlier this week, Forward Justice addressed a letter to the North Carolina State Board of Elections, calling for the signs to be removed because they constitute "unlawful voter intimidation." The letter was co-signed by nearly two dozen organizations, including the North Carolina chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. It’s already illegal for noncitizens to vote in elections in North Carolina and at the federal level — and illegal voting rarely happens. Early voting in North Carolina ends on Nov. 2.

Persons: it's, “, ”, Cleta Mitchell, Mitchell, Donald Trump’s, Kathleen Roblez, hotlines, Jaclyn Maffetore, Maffetore, Spanish Jim Womack, Womack Organizations: North, Democratic Oklahoma, Forward Justice, North Carolina State Board, American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU, noncitizens, Brennan, Cato Institute, Heritage Foundation, GOP, Homeland Locations: North Carolina, United States of America, Durham County, U.S, Spanish, Lee County

The 2020 campaign may have also suffered from a lack of imagination about how big the turnout would be and what Democrats were doing in the courts to expand the vote, a Trump campaign adviser said. Other familiar names from 2020 election lawsuits have been spotted this year too. One is Karen DiSalvo, who after the 2020 election helped force an audit in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania. The RNC and Trump campaign have focused what they call their election integrity effort on 18 states including the key swing states. An RNC lawsuit in Michigan challenging voter registration procedures is one of the cases the firm has worked on.

Persons: WASHINGTON, Donald Trump’s, Alex Kaufman, Trump, Brad Raffensperger, Julie Adams, ”, Sophia Lin Lakin, “, Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, Sidney Powell —, Joe Biden’s, Kaufman, Cleta Mitchell, Mitchell, ensnared Giuliani, Powell, Jenna Ellis, Kenneth Chesebro, Karen DiSalvo, Erick Kaardal, Kurt Olsen, Biden, Bruce Castor, Michael van der Veen, Christina Bobb, Biden’s, Gineen Bresso, ” Gates, Michael Whatley, Rick Hasen, Consovoy McCarthy, Jones, Don McGahn, Dhillon, Harmeet Dhillon, David Warrington, ” Marc Elias, Harris, Lakin Organizations: Republican, Georgia, Fulton County, Registration, Republican National Committee, RNC, American Civil Liberties Union, Raffensperger, Eastman, DeKalb County Republican Party, Dominion, Supreme, Trump, United Sovereign Americans, Fulton County Republican Party, Republicans, UCLA School of Law, NBC, Dhillon, Federal, Commission, U.S, Circuit, White, Capitol Locations: Georgia, Atlanta, Fulton, Pennsylvania, Lycoming County , Pennsylvania, DeKalb County, Texas, Arizona, Michigan, North Carolina, Mississippi

☆ ‘Big lie’ 2.0: How Trump’s false claims about noncitizens voting laid the groundwork to undermine the election
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-25 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Brandy-Zadrozny-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Brandy Zadrozny | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

“We could fit into a phone booth, those of us who cared about election integrity,” Mitchell has said. Mitchell volunteered as a legal adviser to Trump in Georgia during his effort to overturn the 2020 election results. In 2022, tax filings show the Election Integrity Network brought in more than $750,000, largely from the Conservative Partnership Institute. Mitchell testified at a House Judiciary hearing, an appearance the Election Integrity Network turned into an advertisement. The bill’s failure was a blow, but far from fatal for Only Citizens Vote and the cottage industry of national MAGA groups that rally under the “election integrity” banner.

Persons: Cleta Mitchell, Mitchell, ” Mitchell, Trump, Brad Raffensperger, “, Charlie Kirk, ”, —, that’s, Ken Cuccinelli, Leonard Leo, Trump’s, Pat Buchanan, Buchanan Organizations: Trump, Democratic Oklahoma, Interest Legal Foundation, Republican, Georgia, D.C, Network, Conservative Partnership Institute, Coalition, NBC News, American Legislative Exchange Council, Citizens, Safeguard, Judiciary, MAGA, Citizen, Initiative, Homeland Security, Capitol, Republican Party Locations: Georgia, Washington, Virginia, Texas

☆ Election workers prepare to handle ‘concerning list’ of poll watchers who could disrupt the vote
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-25 | by ( Sara Murray | Jeremy Herb | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

After they were reminded repeatedly about the rules against making meritless ballot challenges, the groups of poll watchers “turned disruptive,” according to Glendale Mayor Bryan Kennedy. For the vast majority of Americans, it’s pretty smooth.”Across the country, election officials are also vowing voters will be able to safely cast their ballots. This year’s crop of election observers is set to include people who have denied Trump’s 2020 election loss. Hilby stressed that it’s often important for poll watchers to understand what they’re seeing. “The best way to combat it is to just be as transparent as possible, and election officials really are committed to doing that.

Persons: “, Glendale Mayor Bryan Kennedy, ” Kennedy, –, Trump, Joe Biden –, Justin Levitt, ” Levitt, ”, Kennedy, Mark Amick, William Bradley Carver, Carver, Salleigh Grubbs, CNN “, Stephanie Jackson Ali, Grubbs, ” Danielle Alvarez, ” Alvarez, Amick, Michael Whatley, you’re, Cleta Mitchell, who’ve, ” Dana Remus, Kamala Harris, Monica Guardiola, Elena Hilby, Hilby, Sun, ” Hilby, “ We’re, – it’s, ” Amy Cohen, ” Cohen, Lisa Deeley, ” Deeley, we’ve, they’re, Dana Nessel, ” Nessel, “ You’re, ” Jackson Ali Organizations: CNN, Glendale Mayor, Republicans, Loyola Law School, Biden White, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Republican Party, Trump, Republican, New, ”, Trump Campaign, RNC, White, Republican National Committee, ” Conservative, Network, “, Association, National Association of State, Democrat, Philadelphia City Commissioners Locations: Wisconsin, Glendale, Milwaukee, battlegrounds, Georgia, Cobb County, New Georgia, Sun Prairie, Philadelphia, ”, Michigan

☆ House GOP committee that oversees elections hired two former Trump officials involved in 2020 fake elector scheme
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-24 | by ( Annie Grayer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

They previously hired Thomas Lane, another Trump official who served as a backup fake elector in Arizona in 2020, to lead their investigation into elections. Findlay has worked closely with Mitchell, who helped Trump try to overturn the 2020 election. Republicans on the committee previously hired another Trump official who served as a backup fake elector in Arizona in 2020, to lead their investigation into elections. Emails obtained by CNN show that Lane was involved in the planning of who would serve as fake electors in Arizona, collecting contact information and discussing where the fake electors would meet. Lane was slated to be a substitute elector if there were absences on the day the fake electors in Arizona met, documents obtained by CNN show.

Persons: Donald Trump, Bryan Steil of, Joshua Findlay, Thomas Lane, Trump, Mark Meadows, Cleta Mitchell, Georgia’s, Bryan Steil, ”, Findlay, ” Findlay, Mitchell, “, Lane, ” Lane, Kenneth Chesebro, Kelli Ward, Steil, ” Steil, ActBlue, Steil’s, “ It’s, ” CNN’s Marshall Cohen, Zachary Cohen, Paula Reid Organizations: CNN — House Republicans, GOP, Trump, Capitol, Administration, Republicans, CNN, Republican National Committee, Conservative Partnership Institute, Network, “, Republican National Committee’s, Coalition, Department of Justice, Democratic, Democrat Party Locations: Bryan Steil of Wisconsin, Arizona, Georgia, ActBlue, Juneau , Wisconsin

County election boards in Georgia are not allowed to refuse to certify election results, a state judge ruled on Tuesday. “If election superintendents were, as Plaintiff urges, free to play investigator, prosecutor, jury, and judge and so -- because of a unilateral determination of error or fraud -- refuse to certify election results, Georgia voters would be silenced. McBurney said the law was clear when it says that county officials "shall" certify the results. She is one of a growing number of Georgia officials who have refused to certify election results since 2020, worrying election experts that county officials might try and block the routine certification of election results in the name of baseless conspiracy theories. Adding to these concerns, the Republican-controlled Georgia State Election Board voted earlier this year to allow local boards to conduct “reasonable inquiry” into election results.

Persons: Robert McBurney, Donald Trump, McBurney, Lord, construe, Julie Adams, Adams, Cleta, Gabriel Sterling Organizations: Republican, Fulton County, Registration, Trump, Network, Georgia Locations: Georgia, Fulton County, Fulton

1 function is to monitor the election to make sure that proper voting procedures are being followed,” Ray said. “We have to keep our eyeballs on the whole system, and we know why,” Lake said at the August training session. “The bedrock of a free and fair democracy is the citizens doing their civic duty of participating as poll inspectors, poll challengers and other oversight positions,” she said. Michigan conservatives have spent the last two years organizing around election issues, former Trump election lawyer Cleta Mitchell said. At the August RNC training session, an attendee asked what would happen if the events at the TCF Center repeated themselves.

Persons: “, ” Ray, Ray, ”, Ann, Jack Posobiec, Kari Lake, ” Lake, Sandy Kiesel, Trump, Cleta Mitchell, Mitchell, ” Mitchell, Dixon Organizations: RNC, NBC, Republican, Challenge, Arizona, Fund and Force, TCF Center, Fund, Force, NBC News, wasn’t Locations: Detroit, Michigan, Ann Arbor , Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing , Kalamazoo, Muskegon, Warren

☆ Georgia group that pushes election misinformation gains influence
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-09 | by ( Curt Devine | Donie O'Sullivan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

As an example, he cited his inability to review ballots from the 2020 election. If the system is secure, they would have produced the paper ballots,” Favorito said. Favorito has also made connections with election officials around Georgia, some in Republican-leaning districts. Still, after Donald Trump lost the presidency, VoterGA began peddling claims that “significant evidence of fraud” existed in Georgia’s 2020 election. Favorito and VoterGA have made connections with others in the national movement that has cast doubt on the 2020 election.

Persons: Garland Favorito, VoterGA, they’ve, Favorito, Michael Flynn, ” Gabriel Sterling, ” Favorito, John F, Favorito’s, US Sen, David Perdue, Garland, Matt Hamilton, Holden, ”, ” Holden, “, David Hancock, ” Megan Bellamy, “ We’re, Joseph Kirk, Travis Doss Jr, Doss, Bill Clinton, Clinton, Israel, President Kennedy, Robert, Israel’s, CNN “, ” Garland, Donald Trump, Patrick Byrne, Overstock.com, Doug Logan, Cleta Mitchell, Flynn, Sterling, ” Sterling, Trump, ” CNN’s Sean Clark Organizations: CNN, Peach State, Republican, Trump, “, CIA, Georgia Capitol, US, Chattanooga Times Free Press, Facebook, Georgia, The Atlanta, ”, America, JFK Jr, Southern Poverty Law Center, Nazi, Favorito, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, FBI, The America, American Locations: Georgia, Peach, ”, Ringgold , Georgia, Paulding County, Atlanta, Gwinnett, “ Georgia, Bartow County, Washington, Georgia’s, Fulton County, Maricopa County

And they’ve kept up a drumbeat of dubious claims about voting, along with the lie that the election was stolen in 2020. Prosecutors allege that the Trump campaign used similarly aggressive tactics in Philadelphia to force confrontation with election officials, which Trump and his allies used to claim his supporters were denied access to observe the count. Election officials have been operating in an increasingly hostile environment as GOP skepticism of election administration has climbed. Among them: shifting numbers of noncitizens Trump allies claimed had voted in the 2020 election. In Georgia, state courts are reviewing new rules from the State Election Board that Democrats say give county election officials broad authority to delay certification of the results in search of purported election irregularities.

Persons: Donald Trump, They’ve, they’ve, ”, Sean Morales, Doyle, Brennan, ’ playbook, Jack Smith’s, Trump, Hannah Fried, Smith, Rebecca Cook, Brooks, Republican Al Schmidt, Schmidt, “, You’ve, Michael Whatley, Whatley, Zach Manifold, Joshua Lott, noncitizens Trump, hasn’t, Cleta Mitchell, –, “ I’ve, ” Lisa Posthumus Lyons, ” Posthumus Lyons, Jocelyn Benson, Patrick T, Fallon, Mike Pence, Pence, Trump’s, Smith’s, Adrian Fontes, ” Fontes, It’s, Morales, ” CNN’s Marshall Cohen, Fredreka Schouten Organizations: CNN, Justice Department, Republican, Trump, GOP, TCF Center, Detroit’s TCF Center, Prosecutors, Republican National, RNC, Guadalupe, Washington Post, Getty, Republicans, America, Legal Foundation, United Sovereign Americans, Center, Fox News, Republican Party, Board, Arizona, Brennan Locations: Detroit , Michigan, Florida, Philadelphia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Gwinnett County , Georgia, ”, Gwinnett County, Guadalupe Mercado, Guadalupe , Arizona, Kent County , Michigan, Swing, Georgia , Michigan, Maricopa, AFP, Georgia, Arizona, Cochise County

☆ How certification fights are already cropping up in battleground states
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-30 | by ( Sara Murray | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The dustup in Fulton County is just one example of the election certification fights already cropping up in battleground states, from Georgia to Michigan to Nevada this year. Certification fights also popped up in 2022 and in 2020, though certification ultimately moved ahead in each of those instances. “They don’t like me.”But by early 2024, she was being sworn in to serve on her local election board. “The other issues that are going on or have gone in Fulton County I think are irrelevant.”Representatives for Fulton County declined to comment. The State Election Board is also considering changes that could allow board members to conduct inquiries and demand documents before certification.

Persons: Julie Adams, Adams, ”, Stephanie Jackson Ali, Mike Berry, “ Miss Adams, ” Berry, ” Adams, they’re, they’ve, “, you’re, Cleta Mitchell, Mitchell, “ She’s, ” Mitchell, Steve Bannon’s, Matt Rourke, —, Berry, –, Miss Adams, stokes, Megan Bellamy, Nadine Williams, Adams pored, CNN’s Kimberly Berryman Organizations: CNN, Fulton County, Registration, New, New Georgia Project, Washoe, Trump, Policy, Republican Party, Republican, Pennsylvania, Conference, ”, South East, South East Georgia Republican Assembly Locations: Georgia, Fulton, Fulton County, Michigan, Nevada, New Georgia, Washoe County’s, Delta County , Michigan, “, Camp Hill, Pa, Fulton County’s, Savannah, South East Georgia

☆ Trump claims not to know who is behind Project 2025. A CNN review found at least 140 people who worked for him are involved
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( Steve Contorno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

In addition to people who worked directly for Trump, others who participated in Project 2025 were appointed by the former president to independent positions. Several people involved in Project 2025 didn’t serve in the Trump administration but were influential in shaping his first term. Both Trump and Project 2025 have called for eliminating the Department of Education. Vast network of Trump alliesHowever, Trump’s attempts to distance himself from Project 2025 have already encountered credibility challenges. Shortly after Trump’s Truth Social post last week, Democrats noted a recruitment video for Project 2025 features a Trump campaign spokeswoman.

Persons: Donald Trump, “, Trump, Mark Meadows, Stephen Miller, Jay Sekulow, Cleta Mitchell, John Eastman, Brendan Carr, Lisa Correnti, Brett Tolman, Charles Kushner, Trump’s, Tolman, Joe Biden, Danielle Alvarez, “ Team Biden, ” Alvarez, Kevin Roberts, Roberts, ”, Susie Wiles, Chris LaCivita, Paul Dans, Biden, Miller, Russ Vought, Ben Carson, Christopher Miller, John Ratcliffe, Steven Bradbury, Patrick Pizzella –, Mark Morgan, Tom Homan –, –, Kathy Nuebel Kovarik, Ken Cuccinelli, Peter Navarro, Michael Pack, Frank Wuco, Barack Obama’s, David Legates, Mari Stull, President’s, ” Roberts Organizations: CNN, Republican, White, Trump, Heritage Foundation, Mandate, Leadership, Federal Communications, United Nations Commission, Republican Party, “ Team, Democratic, Committee, Heritage, American, Foundation, Department of Education, Affordable, National Weather Service, Trump Administration, America, Center, Management, “ Mandate, Leadership ”, Urban, National Intelligence, Labor, Customs, Border Protection, Immigration, of Homeland Security, US Agency for Global Media, NOAA, State Department, ” “ Conservatives Locations: Trump, Washington, Texas , Alabama, Mississippi, America

☆ Right-Wing Nonprofit Paid Millions to Companies With Ties to Insiders
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( David A. Fahrenthold | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The Conservative Partnership Institute, a nonprofit whose funding skyrocketed after it became a nerve center for President Donald J. Trump’s allies in Washington, has paid at least $3.2 million since the start of 2021 to corporations led by its own leaders or their relatives, records show. In its most recent tax filings, the nonprofit’s three highest-paid contractors were all connected to insiders. One was led by the institute’s president, Edward Corrigan, and another by its chief operating officer. At a third contractor, the board members included the group’s senior legal fellow Cleta Mitchell, a lawyer who supported Mr. Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

Persons: Donald J, Trump’s, Edward Corrigan, Cleta Mitchell Organizations: Conservative Partnership Institute Locations: Washington

☆ Trump-allied election groups burned through millions with no evidence of widespread fraud
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Jonathan Ernst | ReutersThe mission of the Election Integrity Alliance, likewise, was ending election fraud. "The Election Integrity Alliance will unite groups and efforts across the nation focused on combating election fraud," the group's now-defunct website trumpeted in 2021. But Trump never publicly designated the Election Integrity Alliance as the standard bearer for the MAGA universe's election integrity efforts. AFPI also launched an election integrity effort, the Center for Election Integrity, and staffed it with former Trump White House press aide Hogan Gidley and conservative author Ken Blackwell. It even launched its own color-coded election integrity scorecard map, which looks strikingly similar to the one that the Election Integrity Alliance had created for its now-deleted website.

Persons: Donald Trump, Shannon Stapleton, Joe Biden, Trump's, Brad Parscale, Parscale, Trump, Jonathan Ernst, Katrina Pierson, Pierson, Drew Angerer, Tim Dunn, Dunn, Jim Renacci, PCG, Jenna Ellis, Ken Paxton, Bernard Kerik, MAGA, Linda McMahon, Larry Kudlow, Brooke Rollins, AFPI, Hogan Gidley, Ken Blackwell, Cleta Mitchell Organizations: Winthrop Coliseum, South Carolina Republican, Reuters, Trump, Republican Party, CNBC, PAC, U.S, Alliance, Jefferson Rising Fund, Republican, Tower, Getty, hasn't, Partners, American, New York Police, Mar, Policy, Small Business, White, West Wing, Center, Trump White House, Heritage Foundation Locations: Rock Hill , South Carolina, U.S, United States, Manchester , New Hampshire, Texas, New York City, American, Ohio, Israel, New York, Trump, Florida, America, Palm Beach

☆ A Nerve Center for the Right Wing Rises in Washington
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Robert Draper | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In the lobby of the grand Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, Fla., where a sprawling new force in Washington’s right-wing ecosystem, the Conservative Partnership Institute, was holding its winter conference, the former Trump legal adviser Cleta Mitchell was exultant. “Did you hear the ‘War Room’ today? Bannon was on fire!” she said to a friend. She was referring to the podcast hosted by Stephen K. Bannon, the former Trump White House senior adviser who had been condemning Republican senators for supporting billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine and Israel earlier that day. Ms. Mitchell was among some 150 conservative donors and activists who gathered in Coral Gables earlier this month to celebrate the ascendancy of a group that has become a well-paying sinecure for Trump allies and an incubator for the policies the former president could pursue if elected.

Persons: Trump, Cleta Mitchell, Bannon, Stephen K, Mitchell, Ben Carson, Byron Donalds, Florida — Organizations: Conservative Partnership Institute, Trump White House, Trump, Housing, Urban Development Locations: Coral Gables, Fla, Washington’s, “, Ukraine, Israel, Florida

A suburban county in Georgia agreed on Friday to use a new voter information database endorsed by the election denial movement, a move that defied warnings from voting rights groups, election security experts and state election officials. Columbia County, a heavily Republican county outside Augusta, is the first in the country known to have agreed to use the platform, called EagleAI. Its supporters claim the system will make it easier to purge the rolls of ineligible voters. Ms. Mitchell and others have billed EagleAI as an alternative to the Election Registration Information Center, a widely used interstate system that made it easier for officials to track address changes and deaths as they maintain the voter rolls. That system, known as ERIC, has become the subject of conspiracy theories and misinformation that prompted nine states to withdraw with few backup plans.

Persons: Cleta Mitchell, Donald J, Mitchell, ERIC Locations: Georgia, Columbia County, Augusta

☆ Opinion: Why Lindsey Graham wasn’t indicted
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Dennis Aftergut | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

(It shouldn’t be confused with the regular grand jury, whose duty it was to decide whether to indict those under criminal investigation.) The special grand jury completed its duties in December. Using the extra layer of a special grand jury is often reserved for complex corruption cases. There are multiple explanations for why some people may not have been indicted despite the special grand jury’s recommendations. Willis may simply have not presented to the regular grand jury some individuals she considered less than provably guilty.

Persons: Dennis Aftergut, Fani Willis, Donald Trump, Trump, Trump’s, Sen, Lindsey Graham of, David Perdue, Kelly Loeffler, Michael Flynn, Boris Epshteyn, Cleta Mitchell, Fulton County’s, Perdue, “, indicting, Loeffler, Graham, Willis, Flynn, Epshteyn, Mitchell, Rudy Giuliani, Mark Meadows, ” Organizations: Defending American Democracy, CNN, Fulton County, Trump, Georgia, New York City, Trump White House, Twitter Locations: Fulton, Georgia, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Sens, New York

REUTERS/Lindsay DeDario/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 8 (Reuters) - A Georgia grand jury recommended criminal charges against Republican U.S. The six were among 39 people the special grand jury recommended charging in its Dec. 15 report, which had been sealed for nine months. Wood, a conservative lawyer who promoted conspiracy efforts about the election, denied wrongdoing and said he was surprised to find out the special grand jury recommended charges against him. The grand jury voted 20-1 in favor of indicting Trump with respect to the national effort to overturn the election. The special grand jury report remained secret at Willis's request while she determined what charges to bring.

Persons: Donald Trump, Lindsay DeDario, Lindsey Graham, Trump's, Graham, Kelly Loeffler, David Perdue, Michael Flynn, Boris Epshteyn, Lin Wood, Cleta Mitchell, Fani Willis, Willis, Trump, Loeffler, Perdue, Flynn, Epshteyn, Wood, Mitchell, Rudy Giuliani, Brian Kemp, indicting Graham, indicting Trump, Robert McBurney, Andrew Goudsward, Jasper Ward, Sarah N, Lynch, Makini Brice, Joseph Ax, Andy Sullivan, Noeleen Walder, Howard Goller Organizations: U.S, Republican, REUTERS, Republican U.S, Trump, Trump's, Supreme, Trump loyalists, Democratic, Reuters, Biden, Thomson Locations: Erie , Pennsylvania, U.S, Georgia, South Carolina, Fulton County, Jasper

A special grand jury in Georgia recommended criminal charges against three U.S. senators and more than a dozen additional allies of former President Donald Trump as part of its investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election – individuals who were not ultimately indicted in the sweeping racketeering case. The special grand jury report, which has been sealed for nine months and was made public Friday, sheds light on the scope of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ two-year investigation into Republican efforts to subvert the 2020 election results in Georgia. Trump blasted the breadth of the special grand jury report on Friday. In addition to the three GOP senators, the special grand jury also recommended charges against 21 additional individuals, including former national security adviser Mike Flynn, Trump lawyers Cleta Mitchell, Boris Epshteyn and Lin Wood, a slew of Georgia lawyers and state Republicans and others. To be sure, Willis may have several reasons for not indicting an individual against whom the grand jury recommended charges, including that they are helping the district attorney's office or that the individual has a strong defense.

Persons: Donald Trump, Sen, Lindsey Graham of, Kelly Loeffler, David Perdue, Fani Willis ’, ”, Willis, Trump, taints Fani Willis, Hunt, Mike Flynn, Cleta Mitchell, Boris Epshteyn, Lin Wood, Graham Organizations: Republican, Donald Trump View, GOP Locations: Georgia, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Fulton County, State, State of Georgia, U.S

☆ Takeaways from the full Georgia special grand jury report on 2020 election subversion
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Jeremy Herb | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —The Fulton County special purpose grand jury investigating former President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss in Georgia recommended charges against 39 people, the unredacted grand jury report made public Friday shows. The lengthy list of recommended charges underscores how widespread the special grand jury’s investigation was into efforts to overturn the 2020 election. The indictment also included 30 unindicted co-conspirators alleged to have taken part in the conspiracy, including some people the special grand jury recommended charges against. The special grand jury report was only a recommendation, and the district attorney decided which charges to bring to a grand jury last month before the indictment was returned. The charges against the fake electors were among the most contested in the special grand jury report.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Fani Willis, South Carolina Republican Lindsey Graham, David Perdue, Kelly Loeffler, Michael Flynn, Boris Epshteyn, Cleta Mitchell, Trump, ” Willis, Willis ’, Willis, Graham, Loeffler, Perdue, Brad Raffensperger, Raffensperger, Graham “, ” Graham, “, ”, ” Loeffler, Brian Kemp, Burt Jones, Wills, Jones, Pete Skandalakis, – David Shafer, Cathy Latham, Sen, Shawn Still – Organizations: CNN, Trump, South Carolina Republican, Georgia Gov, Gov, of Locations: Fulton, Georgia, Fulton County, Atlanta, South Carolina, of Georgia

☆ Grand jury called for indicting Sens. Graham, Perdue, Loeffler in Trump Georgia election case
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The full 25-page report of the special grand jury, which finished its investigative work last winter, was released Friday morning. However, in addition to the three senators, the special grand jury also had recommended indictments be issued against 18 other people who were ultimately not charged by the regular grand jury last month, in addition to the people who did end up being indicted. Both Perdue and Loeffler, who were sitting senators at the time of the 2020 election, were defeated in early 2021 runoff elections by Democrats, Sens. Graham, a staunch Trump ally, is known to have called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger after the November 2020 election to ask about absentee ballots in that contest. Trump and his co-defendants were indicted by a regular grand jury in Fulton County Superior Court last month on charges alleging a broad-ranging election conspiracy.

Persons: Kelly Loeffler, David Perdue, Al Drago, Donald Trump, Lindsey Graham of, Trump, Lindsey Graham, Tom Brenner, Michael Flynn, Boris Epshteyn, Cleta Mitchell, Graham, Perdue, Loeffler, Jon Ossoff, Raphael Warnoff, Trump's, Brad Raffensperger, Fani Willis Organizations: Reuters, Republican, Fulton County Superior Court, Capitol, Trump, District of Columbia, Democrats, Sens, Loeffler, Court Locations: Milton , Georgia, Georgia, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Fulton, Russia, Washington , U.S, Loeffler, Georgia , Arizona , Wisconsin , Michigan, Pennsylvania, Fulton County

☆ Georgia grand jury indicts Trump, Giuliani, and others over attempts to overturn the 2020 election results
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

A Georgia grand jury indicted Donald Trump on charges related to his effort to overturn the 2020 election. After reportedly making 18 attempts to contact Raffensperger, Trump and his team finally got through to him. Rudy Giuliani arriving at a courthouse in Atlanta to face questions from the special grand jury. That special grand jury completed a report earlier this year summarizing their findings and making charging recommendations to the Fulton County District Attorney's office. Some of those fake electors have reportedly accepted immunity deals with prosecutors in the months since the completion of the special grand jury report.

Persons: Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani, Mark Meadows, Trump, Joe Biden, Fulton, Fani Willis, Mark, Sidney Powell, Willis, —, Brad Raffensperger, baselessly, Raffensperger, Brynn Anderson, Brian Kemp, Gov, Geoff Duncan, Chris Carr, Trump's, Cleta Mitchell, Kurt Hilbert, Frances Watson, Maria Alejandra Cardona, Kemp, Lindsey Graham of, Jenna Ellis, John Eastman, Jack Smith, Smith, Stormy Daniels, Ben Gray, he's, Jean Carroll Organizations: Service, Georgia, Georgia's, Raffensperger, Georgia Republican, Trump, Justice, Republican, New York Attorney, Capitol Locations: Georgia, Wall, Silicon, Fulton County's, Mark Meadows, Atlanta, Trump, Meadows, Sen, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Fulton County, Washington , DC, Florida, Manhattan

☆ Under the Radar, Right-Wing Push to Tighten Voting Laws Persists
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Nick Corasaniti | Alexandra Berzon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“They haven’t stopped trying to change how our elections are run. They’re just doing it out of the spotlight,” said Joanna Lydgate, the chief executive of States United, a nonpartisan election group. National Republicans recently sought to change the rules for a single race in Montana — for the U.S. Senate — to tilt the scales toward the Republican candidate. In Ohio, Republican state lawmakers are seeking to make it harder to pass a ballot initiative, just as a coalition of abortion rights groups is collecting signatures to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot. Incrementalism at WorkWith some legislatures still in session, the full picture of new election laws is still coming into view.

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