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LOEFFLER CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION TO HOLD GEORGIA’S TOP ELECTION OFFICIAL ACCOUNTABLE, REBUILD FAITH IN ELECTIONS

Apr 28, 2021
Today, Kelly Loeffler sent a letter to Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr asking him to open an investigation into whether Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger used his constitutional office overseeing elections in Georgia to further his own political self-interests in violation of the Georgia Constitution or statutes. Secretary Raffensperger made unprecedented changes to the state's elections in 2020 amid the pandemic, including the mass mailing of unsolicited absentee ballot requests, entering into a consent decree without the legislature's awareness, accepting millions in outside money, and failing to resolve hundreds of open investigations from the primary and general elections. Loeffler's letter seeks accountability and transparency from the state's top elections official to help restore confidence in our elections.

"Georgians deserve to have confidence that their vote counts – but for too many in our state, that still is not the case," said Kelly Loeffler, Chairwoman of Greater Georgia. "The passage of the Election Integrity Act is an important step toward restoring that confidence, though numerous questions remain unanswered from the Secretary of State's role in overseeing the 2020 elections. This request is not about the outcome of an election, but about the loss of confidence in our elections and the importance of holding elected officials accountable for upholding the law and carrying out their constitutional duties. Greater Georgia will continue to fight for more transparency, accountability, and integrity in our elections to ensure voters are heard."

To read the full letter, see below or click HERE.

April 28, 2021

 

The Honorable Chris Carr

Attorney General

Office of the Attorney General

40 Capitol Square, SW

Atlanta, GA 30334

 

Dear Attorney General Carr:

 

I write to request an investigation into whether actions taken by Brad Raffensperger (hereinafter “Secretary Raffensperger”), in his capacity as Secretary of State of Georgia, put his political self-interest ahead of the people of Georgia in conducting elections, and whether these actions constitute a conflict of interest in violation of the Georgia Constitution and/or statutes. 

 

Since his term began in January 2019, Secretary Raffensperger has made unprecedented changes to elections in his constitutional duty to conduct elections, including those actions outlined below, which have reduced trust and transparency. Secretary Raffensperger politicized and minimized voters’ legitimate concerns about changes to Georgia’s elections which were related to the pandemic and legal settlements, failed to complete investigations and provide timely information, and engaged in political matters during an election. 

 

This request is not about the outcome of an election, but about the loss of confidence in our elections and the importance of holding elected officials accountable for upholding the law and carrying out their constitutional duties. If voters don’t trust the electoral process and their elected officials, we risk sustained damage to voter participation in our state. We saw the impact of reduced faith in elections in the Senate runoffs, when over 339,000 Republican voters who voted in November did not vote in January. Voting rights are not a partisan issue, and the loss of electoral confidence disenfranchises voters of any political affiliation. Following are examples of potential conflicts of interest that furthered Secretary Raffensperger’s own self-interests: 

 

1)  Georgia’s primary election on June 9, 2020 was administered so poorly the Georgia House Governmental Affairs Committee was tasked with investigating the election. The investigation identified the following: (i) multiple issues related to absentee ballots; (ii) inadequate training for the new voting machines; and (iii) procedural issues regarding COVID-19. Secretary Raffensperger glossed over these issues and failed to take sufficient corrective or legal actions prior to either the general election or run-off election.[1]

 

2)  Secretary Raffensperger announced on September 8, 2020 approximately 1,000 individuals faced investigation for double voting in the primary election by casting both an absentee ballot and voting in person. Eight months and two elections later, Secretary Raffensperger has not fully resolved the double voting issues.[2]

 

3)  Secretary Raffensperger entered into a Compromise Settlement Agreement and Release (“Consent Decree”) on March 6, 2020 that materially altered the signature verification process for absentee ballot review—without informing the Georgia General Assembly or the general public—just weeks prior to mailing out mass, unsolicited absentee ballot requests statewide. He later claimed in media interviews the settlement did not materially change the absentee ballot signature review process, yet the administrative process for rejecting ballots was increased.

 

4)   According to a March 26, 2021 report, Secretary Raffensperger’s office accepted unregulated, outside funds totaling $5.59 million from the Center for Election Innovation & Research (“CEIR”), an organization linked to Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. According to CEIR, Secretary Raffensperger’s office used the funds in both the general and runoff elections to conduct messaging, including to “counteract disinformation” by issuing “public service” announcements.[3] Separately, CEIR also gave millions of dollars in grants to certain Georgia counties.

 

5)   In his role as Chair of the State Board of Elections, Secretary Raffensperger made sweeping, poorly communicated, and inconsistently applied changes to critical elections procedures including, but not limited to: (i) permitting unsecure drop boxes whose number varied across the state, with some counties having dozens and others having none, and (ii) mass unsolicited absentee ballot request mailings, which unlocked the potential for fraud.[4]

 

6)   Secretary Raffensperger’s office orchestrated the recording of a call with the President of the United States and subsequently released the recording to the Washington Post just days before the January runoff, interfering with an election that was already underway by reducing faith in the process and eroding trust in our election officials. 

 

7)   Six months after the general election, the status of hundreds of primary and general elections investigations allegedly opened by the Secretary of State’s office remains unknown. Additionally, no investigations relating the runoff elections have been announced by his office. 

 

Georgians deserve answers regarding these issues and to understand the impact these and other matters may have on future elections. Failure to acknowledge these issues and irregularities will lead to a continued loss of trust in our elections.

 

For that trust to be restored, there must be accountability from Secretary Raffensperger in his role managing our elections, and whether he has served his own self-interest by attempting to protect his own political career. Accordingly, we respectfully request an investigation into whether Secretary Raffensperger’s actions were lawful and consistent with his fiduciary and statutory obligations to Georgia’s citizenry as a statewide elected official under the Georgia Constitution and law.


Respectfully,


Kelly Loeffler


——————————————


[1] See Primary Elections Investigation, House of Representatives Government Affairs Committee, available at: https://www.house.ga.gov/Documents/CommitteeDocuments/2020/GovernmentalAffairs/Elections_Investigation_Report.pdf (last accessed April 22, 2021).

[2] 1,000 people double-voted in Georgia primary, says secretary of state, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (September 8, 2020), available at: https://www.ajc.com/politics/1000-people-double-voted-in-georgia-primary-and-may-face-charges/RR7ZPMO2SBBVLOSCUUAV7S3JEQ/.

[3] See The Center for Election Innovation & Research 2020 Voter Education Grant Program, March 26, 2021, available at: https://electioninnovation.org/download/16514/ (last accessed April 22, 2021).

[4] See SEB Rule 183-1-14-0.80.14, available at https://sos.ga.gov/admin/files/Table%20of%20Contents%20for%20SEB%20Rule%20183-1-14-0.8-.14.pdf.



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Media Contact: press@greatergeorgia.com

07 Feb, 2024
ATLANTA – In case you missed it, Greater Georgia commissioned a recent poll of likely and Republican voters across the state ahead of the 2024 election. The poll, conducted by Guidant Polling & Strategy, delved into key areas such as the economy, public safety, and other issues of the day - including the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, school vouchers, and election integrity reform. As the pollsters noted in their memo, the poll shows strong support for conservative leadership at the state level - and deep dissatisfaction with the status quo in Washington. Read recent coverage about the poll from James Magazine HERE , or view excerpts below. You can also view the full memo HERE . “The basic conservative principles of economic opportunity, safety, and freedom cut across party lines – resonating not only with traditional Republican primary voters, but also with moderates and independents. From education to crime and immigration, to the economy, Republicans at the state level are winning on the issues – in contrast to the unpopular policies of Joe Biden and the Democratic Party. “As we enter the 2024 election cycle, the good news for Republicans is that candidates on the ballot in Georgia will not have to compromise on their conservative values to win a broad coalition of voters. Primary and swing voters alike view Georgia’s conservative leadership as a firewall to the chaos and big government policies of Washington – which means the path to victory relies on promoting the common-sense, conservative policies which are already a hallmark of this state.” Greater Georgia, launched by former U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler in 2021, is a 501(c4) nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to growing participation in the democratic process by mobilizing and empowering voters. The group works year-round to educate and register voters, engage with diverse and underrepresented communities, and protect election integrity. ### Media Contact: press@greatergeorgia.com
01 Nov, 2023
ATLANTA – Yesterday, Greater Georgia exposed Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger for only clocking into work 42 times this year, even amid an as-yet unaddressed cybersecurity exposure affecting Georgia's voting machines. Today, state lawmakers echoed those same concerns at a Senate Ethics hearing - where they had planned to question Secretary Raffensperger about his refusal to fix the well-publicized vulnerabilities within Georgia's election infrastructure. The only problem is, Secretary Raffensperger didn't show up - either for the hearing or for a press conference called by his own office earlier in the day. Instead, Secretary of State staff members faced over two hours of questions about why the state had not made plans to fix the security exposures they had known about since 2021, why there wasn't more urgency to do so ahead of a presidential election year, and where the Secretary has been. The oversight panel criticized the Secretary for taking a wait-and-see approach to cybersecurity, for failing to request the funds he needed to fix the machines, and for not giving his full time or energy to defending Georgia's elections. State Senator Randy Robertson summed it up : "There's a lot of times that we look around the Secretary of State's office. I'm talking about the individual who's elected to hold that office. He's a ghost. Today he's at a rotary meeting to speak down in south Georgia...the Chairman notified him of [this hearing] a month ago...if that rotary meeting was more important than coming up here and speaking in front of the Georgia citizens that are watching this, then that's his burden to bear. But these questions that we ask are not for your benefit or for our benefit - as much as they are for the men and women who lost confidence in the Georgia election system." Yesterday, Greater Georgia Chairwoman Kelly Loeffler had a similar message when she called on the Secretary of State to get back to work: "Voters are entrusting our elections to a Secretary of State who has spent more time glad-handing liberal elites and attacking conservatives as ‘election deniers’ than addressing legitimate security issues. This is not a partisan issue - it’s about accountability in a battleground state that will decide the next U.S. President. Ensuring secure elections is not a job that can be done from the green room of MSNBC; right now, with critical security vulnerabilities exposed to the world, this state needs our top elections official to get back to work for the voters of Georgia.” Greater Georgia, launched by former U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler in 2021, is a 501(c4) nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to growing participation in the democratic process by mobilizing and empowering voters. The group works year-round to educate and register voters, engage with diverse and underrepresented communities, and protect election integrity. ### Media Contact: press@greatergeorgia.com
31 Oct, 2023
ATLANTA – Today, following the release of a new report by the Washington Examiner , Greater Georgia Chairwoman Kelly Loeffler called on Georgia’s top election official to return to his taxpayer-funded job and direct his full attention to ensuring election integrity - starting by fixing known security vulnerabilities in Georgia’s voting machines. Earlier this year, Greater Georgia and other groups called on Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to fix a critical security vulnerability in Georgia’s voting machines before the 2024 election. Secretary Raffensperger, whose office had been aware of the vulnerabilities since 2021, announced that he would not update the machines until at least 2025, citing a lack of time - despite his advanced notice and the fact that several other states had already taken steps to implement the patch. But according to open records obtained by Greater Georgia and verified by the Washington Examiner , Raffensperger may have been able to execute the update had it been prioritized over cross-country trips to appear with celebrities, Democrat elites, and liberal media. Georgia’s top elections official has been to his office 42 days in the first nine months of 2023, averaging five days per month and four hours per visit. Raffensperger, who collects a taxpayer-funded salary of nearly $130,000 plus benefits, has spent about 70% of all work days out of office since 2021. Over the last few months, Raffensperger has instead attended the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in D.C., the South by Southwest Conference in Austin, and the 2024 Campaign Journalism Conference in Chicago - managing to score interviews with MSNBC and others. He was recently announced as a headliner for an L.A. conference alongside Hollywood celebs Ed Helms and Michael Douglas. “Voters are entrusting our elections to a Secretary of State who has spent more time glad-handing liberal elites and attacking conservatives as ‘election deniers’ than addressing legitimate security iss ues,” said Greater Georgia Chairwoman Kelly Loeffler. “This is not a partisan issue - it’s about accountability in a battleground state that will decide the next U.S. President. Ensuring secure elections is not a job that can be done from the green room of MSNBC; right now, with critical security vulnerabilities exposed to the world, this state needs our top elections official to get back to work for the voters of Georgia.” In 2021, Georgia’s Secretary of State became the first official in the nation to learn about vulnerabilities in the Dominion software - when the University of Michigan audited the state’s voting machines as part of a lawsuit. The Department of Homeland Security then issued a security advisory in June 2022, urging every state to fix the vulnerabilities “as soon as possible.” Dominion subsequently distributed a software update, which was approved for nationwide implementation in March 2023. Within months, several states including Colorado , Michigan , and Washington independently tested and certified the software update. Michigan announced plans to update its machines in full before the 2024 presidential primary. By contrast, Georgia’s Secretary of State announced he would not implement the update for another two years. To date, the Secretary’s office has not provided a clear timeline or cost estimate for the update and has failed to request funds for it in both the 2022 and 2023 legislative sessions. The office has, however, spent time lashing out at those who have called for the update, including a broad range of cybersecurity and election experts, as “election-denying conspiracy theorists.” They insist that the existing election system is “safe, secure, and accurate” - and have similarly failed to address recent episodes, even in the last two weeks, of early voting failures in DeKalb , Fulton , and Henry Counties. Greater Georgia, launched by former U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler in 2021, is a 501(c4) nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to growing participation in the democratic process by mobilizing and empowering voters. The group works year-round to educate and register voters, engage with diverse and underrepresented communities, and protect election integrity. ### Media Contact: press@greatergeorgia.com
26 Oct, 2023
ATLANTA – Today, Greater Georgia Chairwoman and former U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler issued the following statement after a U.S. District Court rejected Georgia's congressional and legislative maps and ordered them to be redrawn. The Obama-appointed judge sided with liberal operatives like Marc Elias , who have launched a nationwide legal campaign to create more favorable electoral maps for Democrats ahead of 2024. “Whether the Left’s machine is working to put conservatives in jail or toss out legitimate electoral maps, lawfare is their new campaign strategy,” said Greater Georgia Chairwoman Kelly Loeffler. “Today’s ruling by the Obama-appointed U.S. District Court judge is a disappointing but unsurprising victory for liberal activists attempting to interfere in next year’s elections. Greater Georgia expects a successful appeal and that partisan efforts to undermine our state’s legislative and congressional races ahead of 2024 will be dismissed.” Greater Georgia, launched by former U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler in 2021, is a 501(c4) nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to growing participation in the democratic process by mobilizing and empowering voters. The group works year-round to educate and register voters, engage with diverse and underrepresented communities, and protect election integrity. ### Media Contact: press@greatergeorgia.com
17 Oct, 2023
ATLANTA – Today, Greater Georgia launched a get-out-the-vote campaign to mobilize conservatives ahead of Georgia's 2023 municipal elections. The text message campaign will target conservatives in cities with competitive local elections - and encourage them to vote early over the next three weeks. Early voting for Georgia's municipal elections is ongoing and runs through November 3. Election Day is November 7. Voters can find their early voting location, as well as their sample ballot, by visiting mvp.sos.ga.gov . "It’s not a presidential election year, but Georgia voters still have important decisions to make at the ballot box," said Greater Georgia Chairwoman Kelly Loeffler. "Our mayors, city council, and school board members impact quality of life for all - from families and small businesses to our safety and freedoms. It’s why we’re investing in a statewide awareness ca  mpaign to urge conservatives to vote early for strong local leadership." Greater Georgia, launched by former U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler in 2021, is a 501(c4) nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to growing participation in the democratic process by mobilizing and empowering voters. The group works year-round to educate and register voters, engage with diverse and underrepresented communities, and protect election integrity. ### Media Contact: press@greatergeorgia.com
28 Sep, 2023
ATLANTA – Today, Greater Georgia announced a partnership with the Georgia Center for Civic Engagement on a new voter registration contest for high school students across the state. The “Be the People” Competition will take place in more than 80 high schools, encouraging students to register their eligible peers to vote ahead of the 2023 and  2024 election cycles. Greater Georgia is sponsoring prizes for schools that register the greatest number of students. Students can register to vote at age 17 ½ and can begin voting when they turn 18. The deadline for all eligible voters to register for this year’s Tuesday, November 7th municipal election is Tuesday, October 10th. “The Georgia Center for Civic Engagement is a champion for civics education across our state, and Greater Georgia is thrilled to partner on this initiative to register the next generation of voters,” said former U.S. Senator and Greater Georgia Chairwoman Kelly Loeffler. “Young people continue to be our fastest-growing demographic and are the future of our country - which is why early engagement and education is so critical. By taking a positive, proactive approach, our ‘Be the People’ Competition will build a pipeline of informed and active voters that can make a difference in 2023 and beyond.” “For more than a century, our organization has been dedicated to cultivating strong civic leaders by educating students across the state of Georgia,” said Randell Trammell, President and CEO of the Georgia Center for Civic Engagement. “This school year, we’re excited to launch our new voter registration competition - not only to engage more young people in our elections but to arm them with the tools to become decision-makers for our democracy. With the support of Senator Loeffler and Greater Georgia, we’re excited to help We the People Be the People.” The Georgia Center for Civic Engagement sponsors Civics Clubs in almost 100 school districts across the state, serving over 165,000 K-12 students annually. The “Be the People” Voter Registration Competition is open to high school students and clubs in participating districts. To learn more about the program, visit georgiacivics.org . Greater Georgia, launched by former U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler in 2021, is a 501(c4) nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to growing participation in the democratic process by mobilizing and empowering voters. The group works year-round to educate and register voters, engage with diverse and underrepresented communities, and protect election integrity. ### Media Contact: press@greatergeorgia.com
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