Title 52 U.S. Section 20511: That law states: “A person, including an election official, who in any election for Federal office … knowingly and willfully deprives, defrauds, or attempts to deprive or defraud the residents of a State of a fair and impartially conducted election process, by … the procurement, casting, or tabulation of ball…
Title 52 U.S. Section 20511: That law states: “A person, including an election official, who in any election for Federal office … knowingly and willfully deprives, defrauds, or attempts to deprive or defraud the residents of a State of a fair and impartially conducted election process, by … the procurement, casting, or tabulation of ballots that are known by the person to be materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent under the laws of the State in which the election is held” is subject to imprisonment of up to five years.
Threatening Raffensperger with criminal consequences is also arguably extortion. Title 18 Section 875 of the U.S. Code reads: “Whoever, with intent to extort from any person, firm, association, or corporation, any money or other thing of value, transmits in interstate or foreign commerce any communication containing any threat to injure the property or reputation of the addressee or of another or the reputation of a deceased person or any threat to accuse the addressee or any other person of a crime, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.”
Alternatively, the state attorney general of Georgia might investigate and bring applicable charges under state law. That would have one clear advantage: Trump cannot receive a federal pardon for state crimes.
Trump can't sue the state for being illegally taped as Georgia has a one-party consent law regarding taping conversations. If one party knows it's being taped, it's completely legal. Trump needs to go NOW. Congressional Republicans need to get on board to defend the country against this criminal and demand he resign immediately. Even if he has to face courts in NY for his financial shenanigans, it'd be sweet if GA could prosecute him for breaking its laws. My state could REALLY make me proud.
HOWEVER...my fear, based on experience here, is that even though state GOP leaders like Kemp, Raffensperger, et al may really not like to rock the Republicans' boat too much with this Senate election tomorrow, and with primaries for the '22 elections scheduled for 18 months from now. Republicans are still petrified of Trump's large base here and won't want to do anything to rile them up, including not prosecuting someone, even a sitting President*, for committing crimes against the state. Republicans' massive fealty to Trump, STILL, in spite of everything he does is simply mind-boggling. Witness: Sen. Cruz. Trump greatly insults him, his wife and his family with the most awful stuff...THEN, Cruz turns around and becomes one of Trump's most dedicated boot-lickers. I mean, WTF???
Anyway, this week could be one of the most interesting in a LOOOOOOONG time, hence lots of popcorn at the ready! (I still prefer making mine on the stove, BTW...)
Bruce, thank you for the clarification on whether Georgia could prosecute, and sadly, I agree that the GOP officials, even if in deep disagreement, will do anything to challenge Trump. Ugh...really disheartening. And yum on the popcorn done on the stove!!!!
Title 52 U.S. Section 20511: That law states: “A person, including an election official, who in any election for Federal office … knowingly and willfully deprives, defrauds, or attempts to deprive or defraud the residents of a State of a fair and impartially conducted election process, by … the procurement, casting, or tabulation of ballots that are known by the person to be materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent under the laws of the State in which the election is held” is subject to imprisonment of up to five years.
Threatening Raffensperger with criminal consequences is also arguably extortion. Title 18 Section 875 of the U.S. Code reads: “Whoever, with intent to extort from any person, firm, association, or corporation, any money or other thing of value, transmits in interstate or foreign commerce any communication containing any threat to injure the property or reputation of the addressee or of another or the reputation of a deceased person or any threat to accuse the addressee or any other person of a crime, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.”
Alternatively, the state attorney general of Georgia might investigate and bring applicable charges under state law. That would have one clear advantage: Trump cannot receive a federal pardon for state crimes.
Trump can't sue the state for being illegally taped as Georgia has a one-party consent law regarding taping conversations. If one party knows it's being taped, it's completely legal. Trump needs to go NOW. Congressional Republicans need to get on board to defend the country against this criminal and demand he resign immediately. Even if he has to face courts in NY for his financial shenanigans, it'd be sweet if GA could prosecute him for breaking its laws. My state could REALLY make me proud.
HOWEVER...my fear, based on experience here, is that even though state GOP leaders like Kemp, Raffensperger, et al may really not like to rock the Republicans' boat too much with this Senate election tomorrow, and with primaries for the '22 elections scheduled for 18 months from now. Republicans are still petrified of Trump's large base here and won't want to do anything to rile them up, including not prosecuting someone, even a sitting President*, for committing crimes against the state. Republicans' massive fealty to Trump, STILL, in spite of everything he does is simply mind-boggling. Witness: Sen. Cruz. Trump greatly insults him, his wife and his family with the most awful stuff...THEN, Cruz turns around and becomes one of Trump's most dedicated boot-lickers. I mean, WTF???
Anyway, this week could be one of the most interesting in a LOOOOOOONG time, hence lots of popcorn at the ready! (I still prefer making mine on the stove, BTW...)
Stove popcorn is definitely the best!
With real butter.
Bruce, thank you for the clarification on whether Georgia could prosecute, and sadly, I agree that the GOP officials, even if in deep disagreement, will do anything to challenge Trump. Ugh...really disheartening. And yum on the popcorn done on the stove!!!!