ATLANTA —
Donald Trump was threatening Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger when he requested him to assist “discover” sufficient votes to overturn his loss in Georgia to Democratic President Joe Biden, Raffensperger writes in a brand new e-book.
The e-book, “Integrity Counts,” was launched Tuesday. In it, Raffensperger depicts a person who defied stress from Trump to change election outcomes, but additionally reveals a public official settling political scores as he seeks to outlive a hostile Republican major surroundings and win reelection in 2022.
An engineer who grew rich earlier than working for workplace, Raffensperger recounts in his e-book the wrestle in Georgia that adopted Biden’s slim victory, together with loss of life threats texted to his spouse, an encounter with males who he says could have been staking out his suburban Atlanta house, and being escorted out of the Georgia capitol on Jan. 6 as a handful of right-wing protesters entered the constructing on the identical day many extra protesters stormed the U.S. Capitol.
The e-book climaxes with the telephone name, which was recorded after which given to a number of information organizations. Raffensperger — often called a conservative Republican earlier than Trump focused him — writes that he perceived Trump as threatening him a number of instances throughout the telephone name.
“I felt then — and nonetheless imagine right this moment — that this was a menace,” Raffensperger writes. “Others clearly thought so, too, as a result of a few of Trump’s extra radical followers have responded as if it was their obligation to hold out this menace.”
Fulton County District Legal professional Fani Willis is investigating potential makes an attempt to improperly affect Georgia’s 2020 election. Raffensperger stated in an interview with The Related Press that Willis’ investigators have talked to some workers in his workplace, however that he hasn’t been interviewed.
“They’ve talked to a few of our of us right here. We despatched all of the paperwork and she will now purchase the e-book on-line,” Raffensperger stated of Willis.
Jeff DiSantis, a spokesperson for Willis, stated the investigation is ongoing.
“Any related data is a part of the investigation, whether or not it is a e-book, testimony in a congressional committee or data we collect ourselves,” he stated.
Spokespersons for Trump did not instantly reply to emails and a telephone name searching for remark Monday.
Raffensperger takes intention at Republicans who’ve attacked him, arguing they’re damaging the GOP.
“Once you eat your younger and also you go after folks in your individual celebration who’re loyal, conventional Republicans, you might be destroying our future as a celebration,” Raffensperger writes.
He blames a defeat that wounded Trump’s ego, writing, “You imagine in your coronary heart that you simply did job, and in case you by no means lack self doubt, it should be doubly debilitating — and complicated. As a substitute of accepting defeat, you search for scapegoats, shift blame, or search different theories.”
Raffensperger stated the e-book is supposed to put out the information debunking claims that Georgia’s election outcomes had been fraudulent. “I knew we had the information and I knew over time the reality can be revealed and believed,” he writes.
The creator additionally repeatedly takes intention at outstanding Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams, who has argued that the state obstructs voting. Raffensperger argues that Abrams shirked her “distinct obligation to keep away from slandering our electoral system” when she acknowledged however refused to concede her slim 2018 gubernatorial loss to Republican Brian Kemp.
Raffensperger writes that “the corrosive results of such lies are spreading nonetheless,” and argues that Abrams and different Democrats share “an all-too-bipartisan willingness to undermine the integrity of our democracy.”
Abrams has repeatedly rejected Raffensperger’s comparability, saying her complaints had been over voters whom Republicans faraway from the rolls. Few Georgia Democrats right this moment dispute that Kemp is the authentic governor and none have resorted to violence.
The e-book checks another packing containers for a Raffensperger reelection run. He defends at size a authorized settlement that set requirements for a way mail-in poll signatures had been verified. Many Republicans claimed with out proof that the change allowed fraudulent absentee ballots.
Raffensperger additionally takes pictures at U.S. Rep. Jody Hice, a Trump-endorsed opponent in Georgia’s 2022 Republican major for secretary of state, saying Hice confirmed little curiosity in election administration earlier than 2020.
“Sarcastically, Hice accepted the outcomes of his personal race, which he gained, however objected to the outcomes of the presidential race,” Raffensperger writes. “Similar voters. Similar ballots. One, presumably, was sincere. The opposite was ‘defective and fraudulent.’ He is a double-minded individual. How will you maintain two opposing views at one time?”
Raffensperger additionally insists that election fraud is just not systemic, writing, “Our elections are each fairer and safer than they’ve been at any level in our historical past.”
However he does assume voters want to decide on officers with extra integrity, as conveyed by the e-book’s title.
“If we do not have folks of the best character run for elective workplace, we are going to proceed to battle disinformation, misinformation and outright deception, and the top consequence will probably be an erosion of public belief,” Raffensperger writes. “We’d like the individuals who maintain public workplace to repeatedly try for the noble causes in life with noble conduct.”
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Related Press author Kate Brumback contributed to this report.
