Trump heard on tape urging status official to 'find' votes for him
05 January, 2021
US President Donald Trump pressured the Georgia secretary of status in a phone discussion to "come across" enough votes to overturn Joe Biden's victory found in the southern talk about, it was reported on Sunday.
The secretly taped conversation with fellow Republican Brad Raffensperger on Saturday, first reported by The Washington Post, includes threats that he and another Georgia official will be taking "a big risk" if indeed they didn't attempt his request.
"The persons of Georgia are angry, the persons in the country happen to be angry," Mr Trump is heard saying on the tape, parts of that have been aired by CNN.
"And there's nothing wrong with telling, you know, um, that you've recalculated. You're off by hundreds of thousands of votes."
Mr Raffensperger responds: "Well, Mr President, the task which you have is, the info you have is incorrect."
Mr Biden won the extended Republican-leaning state by fewer than 12,000 votes, a good margin that was unchanged after recounts and audits.
None of Mr Trump's allegations have already been supported.
And a good reversal in Georgia wouldn't normally deprive Mr Biden of his victory.
Word of the recording came two days and nights before run-off elections found in Georgia which will decide control of the US Senate, and three times before Congress is to certify the benefits of the November 3 election.
That certification, normally routine, has been challenged by ratings of legislators at Mr Trump's behest.
Before the audio premiered, Mr Trump tweeted about the call, saying Mr Raffensperger "was unwilling, or unable, to answer questions like the 'ballots under table' scam, ballot destruction, out of state voters, dead voters and more."
Following the release, the White House declined to comment.
Democrats were quick to condemn the decision.
"Trump's contempt for democracy is laid bare," representative Adam Schiff explained on Twitter. "Once more. On tape.
"Pressuring a great election official to 'get' the votes thus he may win is potentially criminal, and another flagrant abuse of vitality by a corrupt person who would be considered a despot if we allowed him. We won't."
Some political commentators compared the call to the Watergate tapes that led to nov President Richard Nixon.
John Dean, a White House counsel to Nixon before turning against him, told CNN that the brand new tape was "very damning for the president".
"It's very ugly," Mr Dean said.
Mr Trump has waged an all-out fight the election results but scores of recounts and lawsuits, and an assessment by his private Justice Department, failed to substantiate the claims.
At one stage, he invited Republican election officials from Michigan to the White House in an apparent work to pressure them over their vote certification.
He also pressed Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, a good Republican, in another phone.
Mr Raffensperger and other election officials who've rejected Mr Trump's entreaties, in Georgia and different states, have received loss of life threats from his supporters.
It was not clear who released the tape, but under state rules Mr Raffensperger could legally have taped it without Mr Trump's consent.
Source: japantoday.com
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