The Trump Campaign hosted a press call on Wednesday to discuss their ongoing legal efforts in Georgia. Featured speakers on the call included Trump 2020 Campaign counsel Stefan Passantino, counsel Mark “Thor” Hearne, Communications Director Tim Murtaugh, Representative Doug Collins (R-GA-09).
Passantino opened the call by reasserting the fact that the estimated 71 million people who voted for President Trump “deserve to know that this election is free, fair, and secure.” He added that supporters of Joe Biden deserve to know as well to maintain confidence in the propriety of the nation’s elections.
Passantino also mentioned the recent announcement by Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger that the entire state would audit all votes through a recount by hand.
Then, Collins spoke about the scope of the legal process taking place.
“It’s not over. There’s legal recourse that’s being done all over the country but specifically here in Georgia. This [hand count] is really the first step. It allows us to see the integrity of the process. This is a victory of integrity and transparency.”
Passentino clarified the nature of the recount by hand that will take place in Georgia. He shared that the whole process will likely begin on or before Monday.
“Georgia’s election procedures, for the first time, also produced a paper ballot with a QR code and an English language version of who that person voted for. Every single one of those pieces of paper is going to be reviewed.”
A reporter from Reuters asked the speakers how long the recount would take, and mentioned Biden’s dismissiveness of the Trump campaign’s legal efforts on Tuesday.
Passentino shared that they expect the recount to be done by November 20t- the date by which Raffensperger should certify the election results.
Hearne addressed Biden’s dismissiveness by bringing up the voting irregularities that have been reported in Michigan.
“There are people who registered to vote while dead. There are people who requested ballots while dead. There are people who cast ballots while dead. We have extensive lists of vote challengers saying that there were stacks of ballots run through the machines multiple times that were missing signatures [or] containing the same signature. [These challengers] are listed and detailed in the filing we made yesterday.”
Hearne also shared that observers in both Pennsylvania and Michigan were prevented from their legal right to witness vote-counting. He criticized most media’s general approach to allegations of voter fraud.
“It gets tiresome when we hear from the press, ‘Where is the proof?’ It’s there. We’ve shown it to you.”
Murtaugh added that the current standard of media is to downplay the voting irregularities.
“In reporting [allegations of voter fraud] they take the position: there’s no evidence of fraud, except when there’s evidence of fraud. The media’s general position prior to last Tuesday was that there was no fraud prior to this. Well now when we point to our examples, they say it’s not enough. How much fraud are you willing to tolerate?”
Murtaugh said that these actions amount to a lengthy process, and that none of these allegations alone are a “silver bullet” to overturn or change the election results.
Prior to the closure of the press call, Passentino’s final remarks addressed the widespread belief that the litigation efforts are a political move.
“This isn’t a political strategy to motivate the base. It represents the best opportunity to ensure that every legal ballot is counted.”
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Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and the Star News Network. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to [email protected].
