Donald Trump is Obsessed With His Phone Call To Brad Raffensperger – Donald Trump’s public and private opinions of the infamous phone call to “find” votes in Georgia are reportedly divergent.
In public, Trump has described his call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in January 2021 – in which he demanded the latter “find 11,780 votes” in order to win the state in 2020 – as “perfect.” Behind closed doors it’s a different story, with lawyers unconvinced that his efforts to suppress the call in the criminal case against him will work.
The situation relates to his most recent indictment regarding election interference in the state. Trump along with 18 co-defendants are set to be tried in Fulton County following Fani Willis’ announcement last month.
The Art Of Suppression
According to the Rolling Stone, Trump has discussed the possibility of suppressing the phone call, meaning it will not be used in evidence for next year’s trial. Reportedly, his attorneys saw the proposals as flawed, and argued it would be better to argue against wrongdoing during the trial.
“At the end of the day, that just wouldn’t work,” said one of Trump’s legal advisers. “You must confront what’s on there, not try to wish it away.”
Sources close to the former president noted his insistence on being updated about the criminal case – one of four he must face in the lead-up to next year’s election. He reportedly felt “very wronged” by Raffensperger’s leaking of the phone call, with the source adding Trump’s upset that a “sick guy [like Raffensperger] does something that sneaky.”
Was It Illegal?
Trump has previously suggested in an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he is “illegally” taped by some people he speaks with in Florida, where recordings are required to have the consent of two separate parties. In Georgia, it’s only one, but widespread dissemination of a recording without consent from both parties is generally prohibited.
The recording itself has previously been called into question. Georgia’s GOP chairman David Shafer accused media outlets of publishing “heavily edited” audio of the call, adding that the purpose was “for confidential settlement discussion of pending litigation.” However, evidence of that has not been made public, while Shafer is a defendant in the Fulton County case for his alleged role in the fake elector scheme.
It’s a bold strategy, if the defense chooses to pursue it. In Georgia, out-of-court negotiations are only exempt from evidence if they cover offers to compromise, not general discussion about the case. The federal version is much more lax, and is a possible reason for Trump’s attempts to move the case to federal level.
However, on Thursday, Trump’s attorneys confirmed they were no longer seeking to move the case to federal court. A trial date is yet to be set.
Shay Bottomley is a British journalist based in Canada. He has written for the Western Standard, Maidenhead Advertiser, Slough Express, Windsor Express, Berkshire Live and Southend Echo, and has covered notable events including the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
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