Brad Raffensperger summoned to testify in Georgia election case’s transfer to federal court.

Get ‌ready for a ⁣high-stakes hearing as ⁤Georgia ​Secretary of State ⁤Brad​ Raffensperger and​ others take the stand to⁢ testify in a⁣ case​ challenging the state’s 2020 general election results.

A federal judge has ordered a hearing on Monday,⁣ August 28th, ⁢featuring prosecutor Fulton County‌ District Attorney Fani Willis and Mark Meadows, who is​ seeking to​ move his case ‌from state to federal ​court. Meadows, the former⁤ chief⁤ of staff to ⁢the president, is facing charges under Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, along with​ former President Donald Trump⁤ and 17 ‍other defendants. Willis alleges that their ​actions constitute a “criminal racketeering enterprise,” while some of the defendants maintain their innocence.

On August 15th, Meadows filed a notice of removal from state court, claiming immunity under the supremacy clause. He argues that all​ the ​actions listed in⁤ the ⁣indictment were taken in his capacity as a federal official. ‌He later filed a motion to dismiss all ​charges, presenting additional defenses.

The ‍hearing will be overseen by U.S.‌ District Court Judge Steve Jones of ⁤the Northern⁢ District ⁤of Georgia, an appointee of President ⁢Barack Obama.

Raffensperger and⁤ Frances Watson, the chief investigator for​ the Georgia ⁢Secretary of⁤ State, have been subpoenaed to testify at ⁢the hearing. Attorneys‌ Kurt Hilbert and Alex Kaufman have also ‌received subpoenas.

In the upcoming hearing, the prosecution plans ⁢to argue that Meadows’s⁤ actions were‍ unrelated to his ⁣federal job and that he violated the Hatch Act ‌by engaging in political activity.

Phone Call to Raffensperger

The 98-page indictment includes ⁣a total of ⁣41 counts against the 19 ‌defendants.‌ Meadows is specifically ⁣charged with⁣ violating the RICO Act and ‍soliciting a ‌violation of‍ oath⁢ by a public‌ officer.

The indictment alleges that ⁤Meadows,​ along with President Trump, unlawfully solicited Raffensperger to alter or adjust the ⁢certified returns for presidential electors. Raffensperger is expected ⁢to testify about this matter.

The infamous phone call ⁤between the president and Raffensperger is at the ⁢heart​ of the case. In the ‌recorded call, President Trump raised concerns about​ election ⁤fraud and requested an investigation. His statement, “All I want to do is this. I just‌ want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have because we ​won the state,” gained widespread attention.

President ⁢Trump’s attorneys have recently defended the call, asserting that it falls under⁣ protected political speech.

“President Trump had every ⁤right to ​ask the Secretary ⁤of State:⁣ ‘I⁢ believe that this election was conducted improperly. There are deficiencies here. I want to ‌see ⁤if there are more than 10,000 votes, or whatever ⁣the number was, that were counted illegally.’ Once again, ​that’s core political ‌speech,”​ said⁢ attorney John Lauro on NBC’s “Meet ‌the Press.”

Raffensperger has not commented on the matter.

Alleged Acts of Racketeering

In addition to the ⁤phone call, Meadows is accused of⁤ various acts of racketeering as outlined ⁤in the indictment.

These include arranging meetings between President Trump‌ and others, as well as attempting to observe a signature match audit‍ in Cobb County Civic⁣ Center. Meadows⁤ also facilitated a phone call between the president and Ms. Watson, during which⁤ he allegedly inquired about ⁤expediting the signature verification process and offered financial assistance. Some media ⁤reports‌ have characterized this ⁤as​ a bribe, while the president’s spokespersons have⁤ denied it.