GA. ELECTIONS OFFICIAL URGES TRUMP TO REIN IN SUPPORTERS
Sterling condemns threats of violence as recount continues
A top Georgia elections official on Tuesday lashed out at the rhetoric surrounding the election and the threats of violence that have resulted, specifically calling on President Donald Trump to rein in his supporters.
Gabriel Sterling is a Republican who oversaw the implementation of the state’s new voting system. During a news conference at the state Capitol to provide an update on the recount of the presidential race requested by Trump, Sterling admonished the president and Georgia’s two U.S. senators, who are both locked in tight runoff races against Democrats and have called on GOP Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to resign over claims that he mishandled the election.
“Mr. President, you have not condemned these actions or this language. Senators, you have not condemned this language or these actions,” Sterling said, visibly angry. “This has to stop. We need you to step up, and if you’re going to take a position of leadership, show some.”
People have been driving in caravans past Raffensperger’s home, have come onto his property and have sent sexualized threats to his wife’s cellphone, said Sterling. Raffensperger and Sterling both have police stationed outside their homes, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation has said it’s investigating possible threats against officials to determine their credibility.
Sterling said his anger boiled over when he learned that a contractor with Dominion Voting Systems helping with the recount effort in suburban Gwinnett County received death threats after someone shot video of him transferring a report to a county computer and falsely said the young man was manipulating election data.
“There’s a noose out there with his name on it. That’s not right,” Sterling said, adding that the contractor didn’t seek the spotlight by taking a high-profile position like Sterling or run for office like Raffensperger. “This kid took a job. He just took a job.”
Trump last week called Raffensperger an “enemy of the people,” Sterling noted, adding, “That helped open the f loodgates to this kind of (expletive).”
Sterling urged the president to step up and tell his supporters not to commit acts of violence. “Someone’s going to get hurt. Someone’s going to get shot. Someone’s going to get killed,” Sterling said.
Trump campaign spokesperson Tim Murtaugh said in a statement Tuesday evening, “No one should engage in threats or violence, and if that has happened, we condemn that fully.”
The campaigns for Republican U.S. Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler both issued statements Tuesday evening condemning violence but also criticizing election officials, according to news outlets.
“Like many officials, as someone who has been the subject of threats, of course Senator Loeffler condemns violence of any kind. How ridiculous to even suggest otherwise,” Loeffler campaign spokesman Stephen Lawson said. “We also condemn inaction and lack of accountability in our election system process — and won’t apologize for calling it out.”
On Tuesday, several Georgia state Senate leaders announced that the Senate Committee on Government Oversight will meet Thursday “to evaluate the election process to ensure the integrity of Georgia’s voting process.”
That same day, a Senate Judiciary subcommittee will take testimony on “state elections improprieties.”
State Republicans have called for an audit of absentee ballot signatures ahead of the Jan. 5 U.S. Senate runoff — a call repeated Monday by House Speaker David Ralston. And some state senators have called for a special session of the General Assembly to address voting concerns.
Raffensperger says his office is investigating some 250 allegations of improprieties related to this year’s elections. On Monday, he announced his office is investigating four voter registration groups for attempting to register out-of-state residents. The groups deny any wrongdoing.