Former President Donald Trump’s campaign doled out a $20,000 payment in November to an Atlanta law firm for legal fees defending one of several of court challenges claiming widespread voter fraud, according to financial disclosures.
Trump’s campaign said it paid the sum on Nov. 17 for “recount legal consulting” to the Smith & Liss law firm, which handled the former president’s lawsuit in Fulton County Superior Court alleging tens of thousands of ineligible voters cast ballots.
The campaign later withdrew the lawsuit and other court challenges, which Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger called part of a spate of “dangerous and wrong” legal complaints that spread baseless claims of widespread voter fraud.
Ray Smith, a partner with the law firm, confirmed the payment was for “Trump’s litigation” in an email.
Smith, whose practice includes real estate and elections law litigation, also represented disgraced trial attorney Lin Wood in a federal lawsuit claiming elections officials mishandled ballots in Georgia. He said the campaign payment doesn’t involve that challenge, which is pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.
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“Elected officials are like diapers. They should be changed every so often.” Those are the famous words of Mark Twain, as paraphrased by state Sen. Greg Dolezal (R-Cumming) to GPB’s “Lawmakers” on Monday.
Dolezal was discussing SR 37, his resolution to cap state legislators’ length of service at 12 years, while extending state Senate terms to four years.
(Technically, diapers should be changed every three hours, but even the senator says lawmakers should get more time than that.)
His proposal would put the question of term limits to voters, but as you might guess, the idea of shortening his colleagues’ terms was discussed, but has not yet advanced, out of the Government Oversight Committee.
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Credit: TNS
Credit: TNS
Look for Stacey Abrams to play an unwitting part in former President Donald Trump’s impeachment defense in the Senate this week.
Politico Playbook reports that Trump’s legal team is planning to play a video montage for senators that one source likened to “the first three segments of a Hannity monologue.’”
More details:
The montage will include:
— Democrats objecting to the results of elections, including Rep. JIM MCGOVERN (D-Mass.) in 2016 objecting to certifying Trump’s electoral votes in Alabama; Congressional Black Caucus members protesting the legitimacy of the 2001 presidential election (which AL GORE rebuffed); STACEY ABRAMS’ refusal to concede in Georgia’s 2018 gubernatorial race; and this tweet from Speaker NANCY PELOSI.
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The former president’s second impeachment trial begins today in Washington. Expect Georgia, and in particular Trump’s call with Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, to be a focus of the allegations against Trump.
House impeachment managers and Trump’s defense attorneys will spend a total of four hours today arguing whether it is constitutional for a former president to face an impeachment trial at all. Then the Senate will take a vote on whether to proceed.
We don’t expect a different outcome than the 55-45 vote the Senate already took on the same issue. Look for the trial to get underway and continue through the weekend.
Late Monday, Trump attorney David Schoen dropped his request for a pause in the trial schedule for him to observe the Sabbath Friday evening and during the day on Saturday. Senators had agreed to accommodate him, but Schoen now says his counterpart can cover for him so the trial can go on even if he is absent.
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U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene isn’t just attracting swarms of media attention, she’s attracting potential challengers, too.
The Rome News-Tribune writes up the locals looking for a chance to send the congresswoman back to the Sixth District, where Taylor was running in a 2020 primary to challenge U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, before moving to the 14th district to run for Tom Graves’ open seat farther north.
And one of your Insiders has more on that front as well.
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Under the Gold Dome, Legislative Day 14:
- The House gavels in at 10 am;
- The Senate convenes at 10 am;
- Committee meetings throughout the day.
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The state Senate is scheduled to take up the amended budget today.
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Because too much national attention is never enough, Georgia is in the national spotlight again for the many, many proposals already introduced to change the ways Georgians vote in elections.
Monday’s Wall Street Journal quotes two lawmakers with their look ahead at the “brawl” ahead:
“Republicans say changes are needed to shore up shaken public faith in the voting process.
“There has been so much noise and misinformation about the election that I think we’ve got to restore confidence,” Georgia state Sen. Larry Walker III, vice chairman of the Republican Senate caucus, said in an interview.
Democrats said the proposals are attempts by recent election losers to game the system. Georgia held two recounts and a forensic partial audit and found no widespread fraud. “Those [Republican] policies are not based on any kind of evidence,” said state Rep. Bee Nguyen, a Democrat from Atlanta.
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It’s an A for effort, at least. A group of House Democrats filed a resolution late Monday to honor former House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams for her “efficient, effective, unselfish and dedicated public service.”
Our eagle-eyed colleague Maya T. Prabhu picked up a copy of the filing, which also seeks to honor the 2018 gubernatorial candidate for her “vision and unyielding commitment to empowering marginalized communities.”
The leaders of the Republican-controlled chamber aren’t about to hand Abrams an honor ahead of an expected 2022 rematch with Gov. Brian Kemp.
The response from Speaker Ralston’s chief of staff Spiro Amburn: “Isn’t commending Stacey Abrams like commending the Falcons for not winning a Super Bowl?”
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It’s Election Day. Again. This time for state House District 90, which includes parts of DeKalb, Henry and Rockdale counties.
Former state Rep. Pam Stephenson, D-Lithonia, withdrew her candidacy for the seat in September. Maya Prabhu has the details on the six Democrats looking to fill the seat today.
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U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, who recently joined the Senate’s Agriculture Committee, is unveiling more details about a proposal to provide targeted aid to non-white farmers.
The Emergency Relief for Farmers of Color Act would provide $5 billion in direct payments that can be used to pay down federal loans or taxes and purchase new land. The money will also be used to create new programs for Black, Latino and Native American farmers.
In addition to Georgia’s Warnock, this proposal is sponsored by Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey, Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico and Ag Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow of Michigan. Their goal is to get the legislation included in the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package under development.
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Sherri Powell, a former Senate staffer for the late Zell Miller, has launched the Rural America Chamber of Commerce. Powell plans for the Rural Chamber to “promote the economic interests of non-urban communities and while celebrating rural America’s rich diversity.”
Powell knows what she’s talking about. She’s a native of Alamo, Ga., (pop. 2,797) in Wheeler County.
