Key liberal groups want to bar former President Donald Trump from running for office again using a constitutional clause dating to Reconstruction. Georgia’s top elections official warned that invoking the 14th Amendment to keep Trump off the 2024 ballot would set a dangerous precedent.
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has firsthand experience with Trump’s attempt to subvert the will of Georgia voters. While president, Trump phoned Raffensperger in December 2020 and asked that he “find” exactly enough ballots to reverse his loss to Joe Biden.
But Raffensperger cautioned against blocking Trump’s reelection bid on the basis that he “engaged in an insurrection or rebellion,” as the 14th Amendment reads.
“For a secretary of state to remove a candidate would only reinforce the grievances of those who see the system as rigged and corrupt,” wrote Raffensperger in The Wall Street Journal. “Denying voters the opportunity to choose is fundamentally un-American.”
The legal quarrel was sparked by a lawsuit filed by a government watchdog organization, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. It seeks to remove Trump from the primary ballot in Colorado. And many legal experts expect the dispute to eventually land in the U.S. Supreme Court.
The 14th Amendment was ratified in 1868 as part of a legal effort to grant civil rights to freed slaves and prevent former Confederate leaders from regaining power.
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Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
SHOWDOWN. Lt. Gov. Burt Jones wants the Georgia Senate to hold hearings to probe why Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger isn’t installing new election software before next year’s general election.
Jones issued a statement saying he’s given Raffensperger “more than enough time to address our concerns” and is holding hearings this fall to consider “proactive steps” that legislators can take.
Raffensperger fired back in a statement that he’s working to protect the integrity of the state’s election systems.
“Our voting system is secure and accurate — and never connected to the internet,” said Raffensperger. “We continue to work with Georgia’s election officials and others to ensure another smooth, high-turnout election just like we had in 2020 and 2022.”
The scrutiny of the state’s touchscreen voting machines heightened after a federal judge unsealed a report by a computer scientist who found “critical vulnerabilities” that could flip votes if hackers gained access to voting computers. Raffensperger has said security precautions already minimize the real-world risk of tampering.
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Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
LOST CAUSE. State Sen. Colton Moore, R-Trenton, showed no signs of slowing his Republican-on-Republican attacks as he continued to call for a special legislative session to defund Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ office Wednesday.
But this time, he took aim at the state’s top leaders, telling talk radio host John Fredericks that Gov. Brian Kemp and House Speaker Jon Burns are “shallow-minded” and don’t understand American civics. Both said last week that Moore’s notion to cut a single DA’s funding would be unconstitutional and legally not possible.
Moore countered that Burns “obviously he doesn’t understand his constitutional authority.” And he said of Kemp: “Apparently, when he got out of high school government class, all he learned about was separation of powers. And that whole part about checks and balances? He must have failed that question on the test.”
Moore can chide the governor face-to-face later today. The first-year senator has scheduled a news conference at the state Capitol to again demand that special session, which Republicans still don’t have the votes to call.
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Credit: Nathan Posner for the AJC
Credit: Nathan Posner for the AJC
6th SENSE. The bets are on for who might run for the Democrats in Georgia’s 6th U.S. Congressional District should this week’s court challenge lead to redrawn congressional maps.
The seat is currently occupied by GOP U.S. Rep. Rich McCormick, but the district could get more competitive if the voting boundaries change.
One Democratic name that’s already floated to the surface is that of Cobb County County Commissioner Jerica Richardson.
Another we’d add if the lines are changed — U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, the Democrat who represents the 7th Congressional District. She still lives in the 6th and could see her current district’s lines redrawn in the process, too.
McBath has kept a busy travel schedule this summer, including to the Aspen Ideas Festival and the Tennessee Democratic Party’s “Three Star” fundraiser, along with an overseas CODEL to Israel and Rwanda. Those moves are the kind a member might make to keep their national profile and accompanying fundraising strong for 2024 and beyond.
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Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
MEASURED STANCE. Freshman Congressman Mike Collins said he agrees with several fellow conservatives that there should be an impeachment investigation of President Joe Biden.
Unlike his colleagues, though, Collins isn’t backing a threat to shut down the government if he doesn’t get his way. The Jackson Republican said in a statement posted on his website that he believes Congress should pass legislation to temporarily fund the government and give lawmakers time to pass a long-term spending measure.
“When Congress reconvenes, our first priorities must be to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Biden and pass the remaining appropriations bills,” Collins said. “As the House considers legislation to fund federal agencies for next year, we must fulfill on our Commitment to America and do what we said we would do.”
.@RepMikeCollins on Impeachment Inquiry and Upcoming Government Funding Fight
— Rep. Mike Collins’ Press Office (@RepCollinsPress) September 6, 2023
To read the full statement, please visit https://t.co/ssJp3M53Zi pic.twitter.com/5Eo1JKdL4F
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THREATS LEAD TO GUILTY PLEA. The newly created federal Election Threats Task Force marked its first success last week, and the win involved Georgia and the 2020 election.
A Texas man who posted online messages threatening to kill Georgia government officials following the 2020 election pleaded guilty to communicating interstate threats. He made the menacing posts on the website Craigslist.
Prosecutors did not name the officials threatened by Chad Stark, a 55-year-old resident of Leander, Texas. Stark faces a sentence of up to five years.
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Credit: Steve Schaefer for the AJC
Credit: Steve Schaefer for the AJC
MORE TROOPS AT DOBBINS? Pentagon officials are considering moving 700 soldiers to Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta ahead of a once-every-five-year review of the facility.
The Marietta Daily Journal reports top-ranking officer, Col. Michael Parks, shared the news Tuesday with attendees at the annual Dobbins Stakeholder Meeting. Adding part of the 81st Readiness Division to Dobbins would mean a $78 million investment and increase the base’s viability, Parks said.
Dobbins is currently home to the 94th Airlift Wing.
Personnel from other units from all military branches serve on or near the base as well.
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TODAY IN WASHINGTON:
- President Joe Biden will begin his journey to New Delhi, India, for the G20 Leaders Summit.
- The U.S. Senate is working through more confirmations.
- The House returns Sept. 12.
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COOK CONFIRMED. The vote was narrow, but Georgia native Lisa Cook was confirmed Wednesday to a full 14-year term on the Federal Reserve Board.
Cook became the first Black woman to serve on the Fed when she was confirmed to a partial term in May 2022. Vice President Kamala Harris cast the tie-breaking vote, joining all 50 Democrats voting in favor of confirming Cook.
Republicans who opposed her then questioned her qualifications and focused on issues of equity as an economist and professor. Cook grew up in Milledgeville and earned a bachelor’s degree from Spelman College in Atlanta.
Things were slightly more bipartisan in Wednesday’s vote. Sen. Mike Rounds, a Republican from North Dakota, joined all Democrats in supporting Cook. The final tally was 51-47.
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PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT. Georgia native Terrence Clark has joined the U.S. Department of Justice as a senior communications advisor and spokesperson for the Office of Public Affairs.
He most recently was director of communications at the U.S. Small Business Administration and, before that, was director of communications and chief spokesperson for U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock’s first Senate campaign.
Clark is a Henry County native who graduated from Georgia State University.
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Credit: Courtesy photo
Credit: Courtesy photo
DOG OF THE DAY. It’s been a rough summer for Zippy and Cassie Bolen.
Zippy, a brown “chi-weeny,” and Cassie, a white “whatever-she-is,” are the much-loved rescue pups of longtime AJC subscribers, Julie and Don Bolen. But a reliable source tells us they are also both terrified of fireworks and thunderstorms (seen here taking cover during a downpour).
The good news, you two, is that after months of storms and national holidays with fireworks included, the forecast calls for sunny skies ahead. Also, you’re our Dogs of the Day.
Send us your dogs of any political persuasion and location, and cats on a cat-by-cat basis, to patricia.murphy@ajc.com, or DM us at @MurphyAJC.
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AS ALWAYS, Jolt readers are some of our favorite tipsters. Send your best scoop, gossip and insider info to adam.vanbrimmer@ajc.com, patricia.murphy@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com and greg.bluestein@ajc.com.
