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Legal Analysis, Reports September 26, 2022

The January 6 Hearings: Georgia Spotlight 

The Georgia Spotlight includes events in the state leading up to the January 6 attack, participation by Georgia actors in relevant events and the attack itself, efforts in Georgia to discredit or reverse the outcome of the presidential election, and subsequent post-January 6 events.

See Related Reports The January 6 Hearings
Issue Areas
  • Accountability
  • Election Protection
  • Public Safety & Elections
  • Truth In Elections
In This Resource

Updated September 26, 2022

Background: The United States House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol (January 6 Select Committee) is holding oversight hearings in June 2022. It will present public testimony, evidence, and analysis relating to the January 6, 2021 attack, its run-up, and its aftermath. The attack and effort to undermine the will of the American voters did not happen in a vacuum. Fueled by misinformation and lies about the 2020 election, many of the key actors involved and key actions taken that contributed to the attack originated from the states. After all, while elections are national events, they are run and led by the states.

The States United Democracy Center has created a series of state-by-state guides to the January 6 attack highlighting activities that sought to undermine our free, fair, and secure elections. The Georgia Spotlight includes events in the state leading up to the January 6 attack, participation by Georgia actors in relevant events and the attack itself, efforts in Georgia to discredit or reverse the outcome of the presidential election, and subsequent post-January 6 events.

Events leading up to January 6

Supporters of then-President Trump held rallies throughout the country attempting to discredit the 2020 presidential election process and challenging the official election results, including in Georgia, despite lacking factual basis for their allegations.

Actors involved in January 6 activities

The Washington Post compiled a timeline documenting how January 6, 2021 progressed from Trump’s “Save America” rally on the White House Ellipse to the breach and attack on the U.S. Capitol. Just Security and Protect Democracy compiled a primer that organizes and distills the multiprong campaign to overturn the 2020 election results.

Fraudulent presidential electors slate
Post January 6 developments

Georgia continues to be a hotbed of efforts to undermine nonpartisan election administration and spread disinformation about the 2020 presidential election results.

Highlights from the Hearings

The States United Democracy Center’s Georgia January 6 Spotlight outlines the events in the state leading up to the January 6 attack, participation by Georgia actors in related events and the attack itself, efforts in Georgia to discredit or reverse the outcome of the presidential election, and subsequent post-January 6 events. The following is a summary of the evidence presented at the January 6 Select Committee hearings related to Georgia, including the June 13, 2022 testimony from the former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia BJay Pak and the June 21, 2022 testimony from Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, his Chief Operating Officer Gabriel Sterling, and Fulton County Elections Department employee Wandrea “Shaye” Moss.

  • Promoting election fraud claims

    • On December 2, 2020, Trump released a lengthy video falsely claiming that, in Georgia, “thousands and thousands of [fraudulent] votes” were found, “all against [him],” in a suitcase brought into a vote-counting location.53 June 21, 2022 Hearing: U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, 117th Cong. (2022) (Statement of Adam Schiff [Video played during statement]), https://www.npr.org/2022/06/21/1105848096/jan-6-committee-hearing-transcript.  The January 6 Select Committee showed footage from the next day where Giuliani and other Trump representatives appeared before the Georgia State Senate and launched the baseless allegation that on election night, poll observers were removed from the Atlanta counting facility and that “suitcases of ballots [were pulled out] from under a table” and run through the counting machines multiple times.54 See note 8.  The January 6 Select Committee played clips of Giuliani proclaiming that this video was “the perfect smoking gun” and that “[you] don’t have to be a genius to figure out that those votes are not legitimate votes. You don’t put legitimate votes under a table[.]”55June 21, 2022 Hearing: U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, 117th Cong. (2022) (Video of Rudy Giuliani), https://www.npr.org/2022/06/21/1105848096/jan-6-committee-hearing-transcript. Trump and Giuliani “claimed that these suitcases contained as many as 18,000 ballots, all for Joe Biden.”56 See note 8.
    • BJay Pak, then-U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, testified that he investigated Giuliani’s claim and that the alleged “suitcase” of ballots was actually an official lockbox of uncounted ballots that had been stored for safekeeping and that poll workers brought it back into the room when they were instructed to resume counting.57 June 13, 2022 Hearing: U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, 117th Cong. (2022) (Testimony of BJay Pak), https://www.npr.org/2022/06/13/1104690690/heres-every-word-of-the-second-jan-6-committee-hearing-on-its-investigation. Pak concluded “that there was no evidence of widespread fraud sufficient to undermine confidence in the outcome of the election in Georgia.”58 See note 42. And after leaving the U.S. Attorney’s office, Pak explained that Trump’s hand-picked replacement, Bobby Christine, “continued any investigations that were pending at the time of [Pak’s] departure, [and Christine] was unable to find any evidence of fraud that affected the outcome of the election.”59 See note 42.
    • Gabriel Sterling, Chief Operating Officer for the Georgia Secretary of State, also testified that his aides reviewed approximately 48 hours of surveillance tape from the time when the alleged suitcase was brought in and found no evidence of fraud. 60 June 21, 2022 Hearing: U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, 117th Cong. (2022) (Testimony of Gabriel Sterling), https://www.npr.org/2022/06/21/1105848096/jan-6-committee-hearing-transcript. Sterling also testified that their hand recount of the ballots reached the same election outcome as the original vote count tabulation.61 See note 45.
    • Acting Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue testified at the January 6 Select Committee hearings that he “told the president [himself] . . . several times in several conversations, that the allegations about ballots being smuggled in in a suitcase and run through the machine several times . . . w[ere] not true.”62 June 13, 2022 Hearing: U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, 117th Cong. (2022) (Testimony of Richard Donoghue), https://www.npr.org/2022/06/13/1104690690/heres-every-word-of-the-second-jan-6-committee-hearing-on-its-investigation.
    • The January 6 Select Committee showed a clip from Trump’s January 6 speech where he continued to claim that “totally fraudulent” ballots were brought in suitcases to the counting center in Atlanta and counted for President Biden.63 June 21, 2022 Hearing: U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, 117th Cong. (2022) (Statement of Adam Schiff [Video played during statement]), https://www.npr.org/2022/06/21/1105848096/jan-6-committee-hearing-transcript.
    • Separately, Trump claimed that votes in Georgia were cast by deceased people, underage voters, voters with criminal convictions, and unregistered voters.64See note 48. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger testified that his investigation into these allegations of election fraud found a lack of evidence to support these claims.65 June 21, 2022 Hearing: U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, 117th Cong. (2022) (Testimony of Brad Raffensperger), https://www.npr.org/2022/06/21/1105848096/jan-6-committee-hearing-transcript. When Raffensperger told Trump that the numbers from his investigation “don’t lie” on their now infamous hour-long call on January 2, 2021,66 Treisman, R. (2022, June 21.) Georgia officials fact-check an infamous Trump phone call in real time. National Public Radio. https://www.npr.org/2022/06/21/1106472863/georgia-officials-fact-check-infamous-trump-phone-call-in-real-time. Trump responded that the investigators were either “dishonest” or “incompetent,” and suggested that Raffensperger could be criminally liable for his actions in investigating Trump’s claims of fraud.67 June 21, 2022 Hearing: U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, 117th Cong. (2022) (Statement of Adam Schiff [Video played during statement]), https://www.npr.org/2022/06/21/1105848096/jan-6-committee-hearing-transcript.

  • Pressure campaign to overturn Georgia’s presidential election results

    • The January 6 Select Committee played portions of Trump’s call to Raffensperger in which Trump said, “I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have because we won the state.”68See note 52. The Committee also played portions of Trump’s call to Raffensperger’s lead investigator Frances Watson, where Trump prodded her to find the “right answer” and told her that she would “be praised” when that answer came out.69See note 52.
    • The January 6 Select Committee played videotape of Trump at a January 4, 2021, rally in Georgia about the Senate runoffs where he exhorted then-Vice President Mike Pence to overturn the presidential election results.70 June 16, 2022 Hearing: U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, 117th Cong. (2022) (Statement of Pete Aguilar), https://www.npr.org/2022/06/16/1105683634/transcript-jan-6-committee. Trump told the crowd, “I hope that our great Vice President . . . comes through for us. He’s a great guy. Plus if he doesn’t come through, I won’t like him quite as much.”71 June 16, 2022 Hearing: U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, 117th Cong. (2022) (Statement of Pete Aguilar [Video played during statement]), https://www.npr.org/2022/06/16/1105683634/transcript-jan-6-committee.
    • The January 6 Select Committee also presented testimony from former U.S. Department of Justice (Justice Department) officials detailing the sustained campaign by Trump and his allies pressuring the Justice Department to wade into investigating the presidential election results, with particular focus on Georgia’s results.72 June 23, 2022 Hearing: U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, 117th Cong. (2022) (Statement of Adam Kinzinger), https://www.npr.org/2022/06/23/1106700800/jan-6-committee-hearing-transcript.
      • The January 6 Select Committee explored how the Justice Department “was fielding almost daily requests from the President to investigate claims of election fraud. Each claim was refuted time and time again, an effort Attorney General Barr described as whack a mole. When each of the President’s efforts failed, he resorted to installing a new attorney general to say the election was illegal and corrupt simply so he could stay in power.”73 June 23, 2022 Hearing: U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, 117th Cong. (2022) (Statement of Adam Kinzinger), https://www.npr.org/2022/06/23/1106700800/jan-6-committee-hearing-transcript.
      • After Attorney General Barr resigned, Jeffrey Rosen became the Acting Attorney General.74 June 23, 2022 Hearing: U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, 117th Cong. (2022) (Statement of Bennie Thompson), https://www.npr.org/2022/06/23/1106700800/jan-6-committee-hearing-transcript. Trump wanted the “Justice Department to help legitimize his lies, to basically call the election corrupt, to appoint a special counsel to investigate alleged election fraud, to send a letter to six state legislatures urging them to consider altering the election results. And when these and other efforts failed, Donald Trump sought to replace Mr. Rosen, … with a lawyer who he believed would inappropriately put the full weight of the Justice Department behind the effort to overturn the election.”75 See note 59.
      • Rosen and Richard Donoghue, the then-Acting Deputy Attorney General, testified they attended a meeting with Trump and Jeffrey Clark, an environmental attorney for the Justice Department.76 June 23, 2022 Hearing: U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, 117th Cong. (2022) (Testimony of Jeffrey Rosen and Richard Donoghue), https://www.npr.org/2022/06/23/1106700800/jan-6-committee-hearing-transcript. At this meeting, Clark pitched himself to take over leading the Justice Department so that he could pursue fraud allegations that the Justice Department had already debunked: Clark “repeatedly said to the President that if he was put in the seat, he would conduct real investigations that would in his view uncover widespread fraud. He would send out the letter that he had drafted and that this was a last opportunity to sort of set things straight with this defective election and that he could do it. And he had the intelligence and the will and the desire to pursue these matters in the way that the President thought most appropriate.”77 See note 47.
      • The January 6 Select Committee detailed the contents of a letter it obtained drafted by Justice Department attorneys Jeff Clark and Ken Klukowski.78 June 16, 2022 Hearing: U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, 117th Cong. (2022) (Statement of Pete Aguilar [Video played during statement]), https://www.npr.org/2022/06/16/1105683634/transcript-jan-6-committee. The letter claimed that the Justice Department’s investigations revealed “significant concerns that may have impacted the outcome of the election in … Georgia” even though the Justice Department had already informed Trump that its investigations found no evidence of widespread fraud. 79 June 23, 2022 Hearing: U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, 117th Cong. (2022) (Statement of Elizabeth Cheney), https://www.npr.org/2022/06/23/1106700800/jan-6-committee-hearing-transcript. The draft letter also recommended that “the Georgia General Assembly should convene in special session” and consider approving a new slate of electors supporting Trump.80 See note 64.
      • Clark sent the draft to Donoghue and Rosen, who both testified that they refused to sign and send the letter.81 See note 47.
      • The January 6 Select Committee detailed how Clark and Trump were in frequent communication, as well as the progress of efforts to elevate Clark’s stature within the Justice Department, as documented by the fact that by the afternoon of January 3, 2021, White House call logs were already referring to Clark as the “acting attorney general.”82 June 16, 2022 Hearing: U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, 117th Cong. (2022) (Statement of Elizabeth Cheney), https://www.npr.org/2022/06/16/1105683634/transcript-jan-6-committee.

  • Protests and threats towards state and local election officials

    • Raffensperger testified that his personal information was doxxed and how the resulting flood of phone calls included threats of sexualized violence targeting his wife.83 See note 50. He also testified about a break-in at the home of his widowed daughter-in-law.84 See note 50.
    • As part of the effort to promote unsubstantiated fraud claims of ballots hidden in suitcases, Trump and Giuliani publicized a video of two election workers counting ballots in Fulton County—Wandrea “Shaye” Moss and her mother, Ruby Freeman—and claimed that they were “involved in a plot to kick out observers, bring suitcases of false ballots for President Biden into the arena, and then run them through the machines multiple times.”85 June 21, 2022 Hearing: U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, 117th Cong. (2022) (Statement of Adam Schiff), https://www.npr.org/2022/06/21/1105848096/jan-6-committee-hearing-transcript. Trump called Freeman “a professional vote scammer and hustler.”86 June 21, 2022 Hearing: U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, 117th Cong. (2022) (Statement of Adam Schiff [Video played during statement]), https://www.npr.org/2022/06/21/1105848096/jan-6-committee-hearing-transcript.
    • Moss appeared at the January 6 Select Committee hearings, alongside her mother, where she testified that none of Trump’s allegations against her were true.87 June 21, 2022 Hearing: U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, 117th Cong. (2022) (Testimony of Shaye Moss), https://www.npr.org/2022/06/21/1105848096/jan-6-committee-hearing-transcript. Moss explained how she and her mother received death threats—many of which were racially charged—because of Trump and his allies claiming that she committed election fraud. 88See note 72.
    • The January 6 Select Committee showed portions of Freeman’s deposition testimony highlighting how she was forced into hiding for two months leading up to, and after, January 6. 89See note 72. Moss testified how Trump supporters invaded her grandmother’s home and attempted to make a citizen’s arrest of Moss and Freeman. 90See note 72. Moss testified that she ultimately quit her job because of the harassment she experienced. 91See note 72.
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Sources

  1. Kessler, G. and Rizzo, S. (2020, November 5). President Trump’s false claims of vote fraud: A chronology. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/11/05/president-trumps-false-claims-vote-fraud-chronology/.

  2. Yamanouchi, K. (2020, November 21). Trump supporters gather for Atlanta protests. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. https://www.ajc.com/news/trump-supporters-gather-for-protests-in-downtown-atlanta/NRBWISLQK5FQ5NXXNAFNPVS6VA/; Amy Gardner et al. (2020, November 9). ‘We will not allow anyone to stop us’: Day and night, under historic scrutiny, the nation’s vote counters carried on. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020-election-workers-count/2020/11/08/a6136514-2083-11eb-b532-05c751cd5dc2_story.html.

  3. See note 2.

  4. ee note 2. See also Kessler, G. and Rizzo, S. (2020, Nov. 5). President Trump’s false claims of vote fraud: A chronology. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/11/05/president-trumps-false-claims-vote-fraud-chronology/.

  5. Bethea, C. (2020, November 11). Georgia Republicans turn Trump’s baseless claims of voter fraud into an electoral strategy. The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/news/campaign-chronicles/georgia-republicans-turn-trumps-baseless-claims-of-voter-fraud-into-an-electoral-strategy.

  6. See note 5.

  7. Historic First Statewide Audit of Paper Ballots Upholds Result of Presidential Race. (2020, November 19). Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. https://sos.ga.gov/news/historic-first-statewide-audit-paper-ballots-upholds-result-presidential-race.

  8. Brumback, K. (2020, November 20). Georgia Officials Certify Election Results Showing Biden Win. Associated Press. https://apnews.com/article/georgia-certify-election-joe-biden-ea8f867d740f3d7d42d0a55c1aef9e69.

  9. Holmes, K. and Stracqualursi, V. (2020, December 5). Trump Pressured Georgia Governor in Call to Help Overturn Biden’s Win in State. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/05/politics/trump-georgia-brian-kemp-phone-call/index.html; Bluestein, G. and Murphy, P. (2020, December 5). UPDATE: Kemp again refuses Trump’s demand to overturn election. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. https://www.ajc.com/politics/politics-blog/why-kemp-wont-attend-trumps-georgia-rally-on-saturday/4ZGHTTK5YJDIDJ7YVUMTPEIMGY/.

  10. Gardner, A. et al. (2020, December 5). Trump calls Georgia governor to pressure him for help overturning Biden’s win in the state. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-kemp-call-georgia/2020/12/05/fd8d677c-3721-11eb-8d38-6aea1adb3839_story.html; Bluestein, G. and Murphy, P. (2020, December 5). UPDATE: Kemp again refuses Trump’s demand to overturn election. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. https://www.ajc.com/politics/politics-blog/why-kemp-wont-attend-trumps-georgia-rally-on-saturday/4ZGHTTK5YJDIDJ7YVUMTPEIMGY/.

  11. Wootson, C.R., et al. (2020, December 5). At Georgia rally, Trump spouts election falsehoods, amplifies old grievances. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/12/05/trump-obama-events-heat-up-georgia-senate-races-before-voter-registration-deadline/; Bluestein, G. and Murphy, P. (2020, December 5). UPDATE: Kemp again refuses Trump’s demand to overturn election. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. https://www.ajc.com/politics/politics-blog/why-kemp-wont-attend-trumps-georgia-rally-on-saturday/4ZGHTTK5YJDIDJ7YVUMTPEIMGY/.

  12. See note 11.

  13. Liptak, A. (2020, December 11). Texas files an audacious suit with the Supreme Court challenging the election results. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/08/us/politics/texas-files-an-audacious-suit-with-the-supreme-court-challenging-the-election-results.html.

  14. See note 13.

  15. American Oversight Obtains Seven Phony Certificates of Pro-Trump Electors. (2021, March 2). America Oversight. https://www.americanoversight.org/american-oversight-obtains-seven-phony-certificates-of-pro-trump-electors; Sherman, A. (2022, January 28). What you need to know about the fake Trump electors. PolitiFact. https://www.politifact.com/article/2022/jan/28/what-you-need-know-about-fake-trump-electors/.

  16. Gardner, A. (2021, March 11). Recording Reveals Details of Trump Call to Georgia’s Chief Elections Investigator. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-call-georgia-investigator/2021/03/11/c532ea2e-827a-11eb-ac37-4383f7709abe_story.html; Bluestein, G. (2021, March 16). Georgia official clarifies earlier report on Trump call to a Georgia investigator. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. https://www.ajc.com/politics/georgia-official-clarifies-earlier-report-on-trump-call-to-a-georgia-investigator/WQPJG3F7MJEJ7EQJHLNVUEGYLY/.

  17. WALB News Team(2020, December 29). Raffensperger: No Fraud Found in Cobb Co. Ballot Signature Audit. WTOC 11. https://www.wtoc.com/2020/12/29/raffensperger-no-fraud-found-cobb-co-ballot-signature-audit/.

  18. Polantz, K. et al. (2021, August 6). How a Trump Environmental Lawyer Tried To Weaponize the Justice Department To Help the President. CNN.  https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/06/politics/doj-clark-trump-election/index.html.

  19. See note 18.

  20. Bluestein, G. (2021, January 3). Trump demands Georgia elections official overturn his defeat in hourlong call. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. https://www.ajc.com/politics/politics-blog/trump-demands-georgia-elections-official-overturn-his-defeat-in-hourlong-call/6MRGK445JNAGHBL2HXLZ3FIVZU/.

  21. Darnell, T. (2021, January 4). READ: Transcript of Trump’s phone call to Georgia secretary of state. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. https://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/read-transcript-of-trumps-phone-call-to-georgia-secretary-of-state/IRLR3EXOMVFJFJIVYYUQ2C6QTM/.

  22. See note 20.

  23. Benner, K. (2021, August 11). Former U.S. attorney in Atlanta says Trump wanted to fire him for not backing election fraud claims. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/11/us/politics/byung-pak-trump-atlanta-election-fraud.html/.  See also Mitchell, T. (2021, October 70. Pak describes pressure from Trump allies leading up to his resignation. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. https://www.ajc.com/politics/pak-describes-pressure-from-trump-allies-leading-up-to-his-resignation/4RDYQLDYGNE5NLIDZ235MFZT2Q/.

  24. Beckett, L. et al. (2021, January 4). Trump speaks at Georgia rally ahead of runoff elections – as it happened. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2021/jan/04/donald-trump-georgia-votes-joe-biden-brad-raffensperger-senate-covid-coronavirus-us-politics-live.

  25. The Georgia legislators who signed the letter are: Rep. Timothy Barr, Senator Brandon Beach, Rep. David Clark, Senator Burt Jones, Rep. Jeff Jones, Rep. Emory Dunahoo, Rep. Sheri Gilligan, Rep. Matt Gurtler, Senator William Ligon, Rep. Ken Pullin, Rep. Philip Singleton, and Senator Bruce Thompson. See Letter to Vice President Michael R. Pence. (2021, January 5). The Wisconsin Examiner. https://wisconsinexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Letter-to-Pence-1.pdf.

  26. See note 25; Timm, C. (2021, January 5). Fact check: No, Pence can’t overturn the election results. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/fact-check-no-pence-can-t-overturn-election-results-n1252869.

  27. Eisler, P., et al. (2021, December 30). Anatomy of a death threat. Reuters. https://graphics.reuters.com/USA-ELECTION/THREATS/mopanwmlkva/.

  28. Kaczynski, A. et al. (2021, March 25). Videos show ally of Marjorie Taylor Greene among mob inside Capitol during January 6 riot. CNN Politics. https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/24/politics/kfile-marjorie-taylor-greene-ally-us-capitol/index.html; Lee, A. (2021, March 8). Investigation finds communications between lawmakers, Capitol rioters. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. https://www.ajc.com/news/investigation-finds-communications-between-lawmakers-capitol-rioters/7BRYTGFQLNATRNSDZDFZDVPFLQ/.

  29. Dale, D. (2021, January 21). Fact Check: 11 false claims Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has tweeted in the last month. CNN. Jarvie, J. (2021, January 30). New congresswoman’s fringe views were public for years. Now the GOP is in a quandary over Marjorie Taylor Greene. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2021-01-30/georgia-has-a-new-congresswoman-in-marjorie-taylor-greene-some-are-embarrassed-others-not-so-much.

  30. Right Side Broadcasting Network. (2021, January 6). Rep. Vernon Jones Officially Joins Republican Party at Trump Rally in DC 1/6/21. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7DUFEbjAMw. Dzhanova, Y. (2021, January 10). These are the Republican lawmakers facing calls for resignation after they attended the Trump rally ahead of the Capitol riot. Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/republican-lawmakers-who-attended-rally-ahead-of-capitol-riot-2021-1#georgia-state-rep-vernon-jones-9.

  31. Mitchell, T. (2022, May 24). Collins, Jones in GOP runoff in Georgia’s 10th Congressional District. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. https://www.ajc.com/politics/collins-jones-in-gop-runoff-in-georgias-10th-congressional-district/ZB4OLAKYCFG7TDKVIWLCGDQ3B4/

  32. WCTV Staff. (2022, January 6). Dozens from Florida and Georgia face charges in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. WCTV. https://www.wctv.tv/2022/01/06/dozens-florida-georgia-face-charges-jan-6-attack-us-capitol/.

  33. Henke, J. (2022, January 6). Suspects from Georgia in the Capitol insurrection | Where their cases stand. 11 Alive. https://www.11alive.com/article/news/special-reports/capitol-insurrection/january-6-capitol-riot-georgia-people-arrested/85-164940e4-83b5-407b-83d3-eb6a85b81ce4; NPR Staff. (2022, June 3). The Capitol siege: The cases behind the biggest criminal investigation in U.S. history. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2021/02/09/965472049/the-capitol-siege-the-arrested-and-their-stories#database/.

  34. American Oversight Obtains Seven Phony Certificates of Pro-Trump Electors. (2021, March 2). America Oversight. https://www.americanoversight.org/american-oversight-obtains-seven-phony-certificates-of-pro-trump-electors; Sherman, A. (2022, January 28). What you need to know about the fake Trump electors. PolitiFact. https://www.politifact.com/article/2022/jan/28/what-you-need-know-about-fake-trump-electors/.

  35. Feuer, A., et al. (2022, March 25). Intensifying Inquiry Into Alternate Electors Focuses on Trump Lawyers. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/25/us/politics/pro-trump-lawyers-elector-scheme.html; Polantz., K., & Reid, P. (2022, March 25). DOJ probe of fake elector plot seeks information about Trump’s top lawyers and advisers. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/25/politics/justice-department-fake-elector-plot-trump-lawyers-advisers/index.html; Boucher, D. (2022, January 19). Nessel: Fake GOP electors committed crimes, hopes feds prosecute ‘conspiracy.’ Detroit Free Press. https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2022/01/18/nessel-gop-electors-crimes-lansing-michigan/6563387001/.

  36. American Oversight Obtains Seven Phony Certificates of Pro-Trump Electors. (2021, March 2). America Oversight. https://www.americanoversight.org/american-oversight-obtains-seven-phony-certificates-of-pro-trump-electors; Lerner, K. (2022, Feb. 2). Trump’s fake electors: Here’s the full list. The Wisconsin Examiner. https://wisconsinexaminer.com/2022/02/02/trumps-fake-electors-heres-the-full-list/.

  37. Mitchell, T. et al. (2021, July 1). The Jolt: Rudy Giuliani’s back in Georgia to knock out Brian Kemp. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. https://www.ajc.com/politics/politics-blog/the-jolt-rudy-giulianis-back-in-georgia-to-knock-out-brian-kemp/ODJGFJ44KZBABFZEW3UTS3F5CQ/.

  38. Kanefield, T. (2020, December 4). Trump and Giuliani’s Georgia election fraud farce underscores Republican Party’s civil war. NBC News. (Dec. 4, 2020), https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/trump-giuliani-s-georgia-election-fraud-farce-underscores-republican-party-ncna1249948; Letter Re: Request for Investigation of Jenna L. Ellis (also known as Jenna Lynn Rives),1 Colorado Registration Number 44026. (2022, May 4); States United Democracy Center. https://statesuniteddemocracy.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/2022.05.04-Jenna-Ellis-complaint.pdf; Letter Re: Matter of John Eastman, Case Number 21-O-12451. (2021, November 16). States United Democracy Center. https://statesuniteddemocracy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Supplemental-Letter-to-State-Bar-of-California.pdf.

  39. Fowler, S. (2022, March 27). Trump’s Republican revenge tour falters in Georgia. NPR. https://www.gpb.org/news/2022/03/27/trumps-republican-revenge-tour-falters-in-georgia. Trump’s efforts to thwart Kemp and Raffensperger from office in favor of Republicans who are also election deniers were futile, as both won their Republican primary elections. 2022 Georgia Primary Results. (2022, June 9). Politico. https://www.politico.com/2022-election/results/georgia/.

  40. Schonfeld, Z. (2022, June 7). Here’s a list of the people who have been subpoenaed by the Jan. 6 committee. The Hill. https://thehill.com/news/house/3514712-heres-a-list-of-the-people-who-have-been-subpoenaed-by-the-jan-6-committee/.

  41. Richards, Z. (2022, May 19). Jan. 6 committee seeks info from Georgia Republican about pre-riot tour of Capitol. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/jan-6-committee-seeks-info-georgia-republican-pre-riot-tour-capitol-rcna29698. Mitchell, T. (2022, May 19). Jan. 6 committee seeks info from Loudermilk regarding tour on eve of Capitol riot. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. https://www.ajc.com/politics/jan-6-committee-requests-info-from-loudermilk-regarding-jan-5-tour/VLBYKAQLANCDVBQ4RDIBNSY4Q4/.

  42. Joyner, C. (2021, September 30). Georgia Trump activists subpoenaed in Jan. 6 investigation. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. https://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-trump-activists-subpoenaed-in-jan-6-investigation/JDTIPITFP5E2HN4YGTM5HVVOY4/.

  43. Wickert, D. and Bluestein, B. (2022, January 28). Investigators subpoena fake Georgia presidential ‘electors.’ The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. https://www.ajc.com/politics/investigators-subpoena-fake-georgia-presidential-electors/7QLQX4JRWNCOZEB5PCLLLH5LWI/.

  44. See note 43.

  45. Hallerman, T. (2022, May 2). Fulton prosecutors to begin jury selection for Trump probe. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. https://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta-news/fulton-prosecutors-to-begin-jury-selection-for-trump-probe/IGCWQKPRVBDWRKNAI7LNQAMHJI/.

  46. Hallerman, T. (2022, June 2). Raffensperger testifies before Fulton grand jury probing 2020 elections. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. https://www.ajc.com/politics/raffensperger-testifies-before-fulton-grand-jury-probing-2020-elections/7MXRD5Y5AVCUTPKAGKN3H2SUJ4/.

  47. Murphy, P. et. (2021, June 9). The Jolt: Georgia state senators tour “sham” Arizona ballot review. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. https://www.ajc.com/politics/politics-blog/the-jolt-georgia-state-senators-tour-sham-arizona-ballot-review/POVNOAVR2ZEVJP5GBXSGZJUTM4/.

  48. Niesse, M. (2021, October 13). Georgia ballot inspection case dismissed after no fraud found. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. https://www.ajc.com/politics/georgia-ballot-inspection-case-dismissed-after-no-fraud-found/OUVOQ5I5ARHMBJ62CX3YBHRMYM/.

  49. Murray, S. and Janfaza, R. (2021, October 13). Judge dismisses Fulton County ballot review case in Georgia. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/13/politics/judge-dismisses-ballot-review-case-georgia/index.html; Niesse, M. (2021, October 13). The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. https://www.ajc.com/politics/georgia-ballot-inspection-case-dismissed-after-no-fraud-found/OUVOQ5I5ARHMBJ62CX3YBHRMYM/.

  50. S.B. 202, Georgia 2021-2022 Regular Session, https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20212022/201498; A Democracy Crisis in the Making. (2021, April 22, 2021). States United Democracy Center. https://statesuniteddemocracy.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/FINAL-Democracy-Crisis-Report-April-21.pdf.

  51. Niesse, M. (2021, May 6). How Georgia’s voting law works. The Atlanta Journal Constitution. https://www.ajc.com/politics/how-georgias-new-voting-law-works/GF6PLR44PNESPKR5FXCBE7VEOY/.

  52. Replacing the Refs.(2022, June 6). States United Action.https://statesuniteddemocracy.org/resources/replacingtherefs/.

  53. June 21, 2022 Hearing: U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, 117th Cong. (2022) (Statement of Adam Schiff [Video played during statement]), https://www.npr.org/2022/06/21/1105848096/jan-6-committee-hearing-transcript.

  54. See note 8.

  55. June 21, 2022 Hearing: U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, 117th Cong. (2022) (Video of Rudy Giuliani), https://www.npr.org/2022/06/21/1105848096/jan-6-committee-hearing-transcript.

  56. See note 8.

  57. June 13, 2022 Hearing: U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, 117th Cong. (2022) (Testimony of BJay Pak), https://www.npr.org/2022/06/13/1104690690/heres-every-word-of-the-second-jan-6-committee-hearing-on-its-investigation.

  58. See note 42.

  59. See note 42.

  60. June 21, 2022 Hearing: U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, 117th Cong. (2022) (Testimony of Gabriel Sterling), https://www.npr.org/2022/06/21/1105848096/jan-6-committee-hearing-transcript.

  61. See note 45.

  62. June 13, 2022 Hearing: U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, 117th Cong. (2022) (Testimony of Richard Donoghue), https://www.npr.org/2022/06/13/1104690690/heres-every-word-of-the-second-jan-6-committee-hearing-on-its-investigation.

  63. June 21, 2022 Hearing: U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, 117th Cong. (2022) (Statement of Adam Schiff [Video played during statement]), https://www.npr.org/2022/06/21/1105848096/jan-6-committee-hearing-transcript.

  64. See note 48.

  65. June 21, 2022 Hearing: U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, 117th Cong. (2022) (Testimony of Brad Raffensperger), https://www.npr.org/2022/06/21/1105848096/jan-6-committee-hearing-transcript.

  66. Treisman, R. (2022, June 21.) Georgia officials fact-check an infamous Trump phone call in real time. National Public Radio. https://www.npr.org/2022/06/21/1106472863/georgia-officials-fact-check-infamous-trump-phone-call-in-real-time.

  67. June 21, 2022 Hearing: U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, 117th Cong. (2022) (Statement of Adam Schiff [Video played during statement]), https://www.npr.org/2022/06/21/1105848096/jan-6-committee-hearing-transcript.

  68. See note 52.

  69. See note 52.

  70. June 16, 2022 Hearing: U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, 117th Cong. (2022) (Statement of Pete Aguilar), https://www.npr.org/2022/06/16/1105683634/transcript-jan-6-committee.

  71. June 16, 2022 Hearing: U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, 117th Cong. (2022) (Statement of Pete Aguilar [Video played during statement]), https://www.npr.org/2022/06/16/1105683634/transcript-jan-6-committee.

  72. June 23, 2022 Hearing: U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, 117th Cong. (2022) (Statement of Adam Kinzinger), https://www.npr.org/2022/06/23/1106700800/jan-6-committee-hearing-transcript.

  73. June 23, 2022 Hearing: U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, 117th Cong. (2022) (Statement of Adam Kinzinger), https://www.npr.org/2022/06/23/1106700800/jan-6-committee-hearing-transcript.

  74. June 23, 2022 Hearing: U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, 117th Cong. (2022) (Statement of Bennie Thompson), https://www.npr.org/2022/06/23/1106700800/jan-6-committee-hearing-transcript.

  75. See note 59.

  76. June 23, 2022 Hearing: U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, 117th Cong. (2022) (Testimony of Jeffrey Rosen and Richard Donoghue), https://www.npr.org/2022/06/23/1106700800/jan-6-committee-hearing-transcript.

  77. See note 47.

  78. June 16, 2022 Hearing: U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, 117th Cong. (2022) (Statement of Pete Aguilar [Video played during statement]), https://www.npr.org/2022/06/16/1105683634/transcript-jan-6-committee.

  79. June 23, 2022 Hearing: U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, 117th Cong. (2022) (Statement of Elizabeth Cheney), https://www.npr.org/2022/06/23/1106700800/jan-6-committee-hearing-transcript.

  80. See note 64.

  81. See note 47.

  82. June 16, 2022 Hearing: U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, 117th Cong. (2022) (Statement of Elizabeth Cheney), https://www.npr.org/2022/06/16/1105683634/transcript-jan-6-committee.

  83. See note 50.

  84. See note 50.

  85. June 21, 2022 Hearing: U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, 117th Cong. (2022) (Statement of Adam Schiff), https://www.npr.org/2022/06/21/1105848096/jan-6-committee-hearing-transcript.

  86. June 21, 2022 Hearing: U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, 117th Cong. (2022) (Statement of Adam Schiff [Video played during statement]), https://www.npr.org/2022/06/21/1105848096/jan-6-committee-hearing-transcript.

  87. June 21, 2022 Hearing: U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, 117th Cong. (2022) (Testimony of Shaye Moss), https://www.npr.org/2022/06/21/1105848096/jan-6-committee-hearing-transcript.

  88. See note 72.

  89. See note 72.

  90. See note 72.

  91. See note 72.