Incompetence and mischief: Georgia State Senator calls out Fulton and Raffensperger
Featured News, Featured Stories, News, Politics December 31, 2020
ELLIJAY, Ga – Senator Brandon Beach (R – Alpharetta) didn’t mince words when addressing the incompetence of Fulton County and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.
Beach was one of four Georgia state senators who called for a special session concerning election integrity earlier in the year. The others were Sen. Greg Dolezal (R – Cumming), Sen. William Ligon (R – Brunswick), and Sen. Burt Jones (R – Jackson).
“We were very upset that Brad Raffensperger entered into an agreement with Stacey Abrams and the Democrats on signatures and absentee ballots that we didn’t have any say on as a General Assembly, and we believed we should have had a vote on that. We were very concerned that we weren’t following state law,” Beach commented.
The Senate Judiciary Special Subcommittee on Elections held a second hearing on December 30 with another five hours of testimony about voting irregularities. Beach mentioned being “appalled” that Judge Leslie Abrams Garner, Stacey Abrams’s sister. The judge didn’t recuse herself from the voting registration case asking for 4,000 change-of-address to be removed from the rolls. Raffensperger stated opposition to the judge’s decision.
One witness Jovan Pultizer, a self-described inventor, claimed he could authenticate Fulton County’s ballots within a couple of hours through kinematic artifacts. Apparently, he can determine counterfeit marks, printing, folds, etc.
“[Fulton County] is incompetent. They don’t get the results to you until two or three in the morning. You add 500,000 absentee ballots, and it’s a recipe for disaster, mischief, shenanigans, and fraud. I think that is what happened in Fulton County. I’ve never had any confidence in Fulton County for 26 years,” Beach added.
The Judiciary Subcommittee sent a letter to Fulton County asking elections officials to turn over absentee ballots to Pultizer and the Cheeley Law Group. Senate Pro Temp Butch Miller (R – Gainesville) called Raffensperger to ensure Fulton follows through with that process. The committee doesn’t have subpoena power to enforce these letters, but they will look into creating subpoena power next session.
Voter Implementation Manager, Gabriel Sterling, confirmed this week that a Maryland woman listed his home address as her own and tried to vote. Sterling’s been the Secretary of State’s Office’s face for most press conferences following the November election. However, he’s a contractor receiving $200,000 before returning to his state job as chief operating officer.
“Brad Raffensperger out to be the one behind that podium,” Beach remarked. “He was elected, and Gabe Sterling was not, nor was Jordan Fuchs, but they’re running the Secretary of State’s Office.”
The money used to secure Sterling’s contract money came from bond money, and Georgia must pay 3.7 percent interest on it until 2037.
“That is not a good steward of taxpayer money,” Beach stated. “I would never have made that deal.”
The senator doesn’t believe Raffensperger or his office possess any “urgency” to protect Georgia voters when it comes to the drop boxes, the chain of custody, or the mobile unit in Fulton County.
According to Georgia law, voting locations are limited to state buildings, libraries, schools, or churches. Mobile voting units aren’t listed under the current law.
As for the drop boxes, each one should follow a chain of custody with two people picking up the ballots and then directing dropping them off at the registrar and elections office. Beach received evidence when ballots were picked up on October 22 and not delivered until October 25.
“Why were they three days later arriving at the county elections office? That is breaking the chain of custody. It leads you to believe there was some mischief,” Beach said. “I have no confidence in the Secretary of State’s Office to do anything between now and January 5.”
130+ ballot drop boxes are in the metro area. The grant money for these boxes came from third parties, not the state of Georgia.
The latest audit from the Secretary of State’s Office didn’t find any evidence of voter fraud.
Kemp still refusing to call special session, commends House’s efforts toward election reform
Feature News, Featured Stories, News, State & National December 7, 2020
ATLANTA, Ga – Georgia Governor Brian Kemp maintained his hardline stance against calling a special session of the General Assembly.
In a joint statement, Kemp and Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan declared they would not bend to party pressures. They asserted that a special session to select presidential electors isn’t allowed under federal and state law.
Read the full statement from Kemp and Duncan:
“While we understand four members of the Georgia Senate are requesting the convening of a special session of the General Assembly, doing this in order to select a separate slate of presidential electors is not an option that is allowed under state or federal law.
“State law is clear: the legislature could only direct an alternative method for choosing presidential electors if the election was not able to be held on the date set by federal law. In the 1960s, the General Assembly decided that Georgia’s presidential electors will be determined by the winner of the state’s popular vote. Any attempt by the legislature to retroactively change that process for the November 3rd election would be unconstitutional and immediately enjoined by the courts, resulting in a long legal dispute and no short-term resolution.
“The judicial system remains the only viable – and quickest – option in disputing the results of the November 3rd election in Georgia.”
However, Kemp commended Georgia House of Representatives, Speaker David Ralston (R – Blue Ridge), and House Majority Leader Jon Burns (R-Newington) for proposing reforms to the election process. The governor’s also been a strong proponent for signature verification reforms.
I thank Leader Burns, Speaker Ralston, and members of the House for proposing necessary reforms that will help restore confidence in our elections. https://t.co/niD9UsBzSW
— Governor Brian P. Kemp (@GovKemp) December 5, 2020
In a letter to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) and State Elections Board, Burns and more than 100 House members suggested improvements to the absentee ballot application and envelope signature verification process.
“Many Georgians, including my colleagues who have signed this correspondence, have serious concerns about Georgia’s elections,” said Leader Burns. “As we approach a critical election on January 5, 2021, Georgia voters must have confidence in the election process going forward. To that end, my colleagues in the House and I have submitted two common-sense suggestions to help ensure secure elections on January 5. I thank Secretary Raffensperger and the State Election Board for considering these suggestions that would rebuild some of the trust that Georgians may have lost in our election process.”
The letter called for robust verification process reforms, such as allowing independent observers to witness signature reviews. They also proposed the Secretary of State’s office partner with other state agencies.
“Multiple news outlets reported significant failures in counties across our state before, during, and after Election Day,” added Leader Burns. “These counties were rural, suburban, and metro-area and represented all demographics and areas of our state. We hope these suggestions can help Georgians rest assured that each and every legal vote is counted here in Georgia.”
Last Thursday, Trump legal team presented a witness who contended Kemp could convene a special session for this purpose. However, the move would tie the state up in legal battles. Most alleged voter fraud evidence has been rebutted by the Secretary of State’s Office. Raffensperger also opened 250 voter fraud investigations last week but claimed there’s no evidence of systemic fraud. Since Georgia effectively moved to a paper ballot system, election officials can review paper records against the Dominion system.
In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger likened Trump’s tactics to Stacey Abrams (D).
He told the WSJ that the November election was “the most secure in history” and that election problems started long-before 2020. Calling out politicians and pundits who refuse to accept election results like Stacey Abrams, who “still refuses to acknowledge she lost,” Raffensperger pointed to a loss of confidence in the system.
Many Georgia GOP senators echoed a similar sentiment last Thursday during Oversight Committee and Special Judicial Subcommittee hearings. Constituents have expressed a loss of trust in the election process and an unwillingness to return to the polls.
Georgia Senate Majority Whip Steve Gooch (R-Dahlonega_
“I’m going to try to build this statement based on a consensus of what I’m hearing from the people that I represent: We have totally lost confidence in our election system this year,” Senate Republican Whip Steve Gooch of Dahlonega said. “I’m here on behalf of those citizens. I have a duty to let you know that this issue isn’t going to go away unless we make some changes.”
Later this week, the Georgia House of Representatives will hold a Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on elections.
“Crisis in our state” Senator Gooch outlines plan to prevent voter fraud
Feature News, Featured, Featured Stories, State & National December 1, 2020
ELLIJAY, Ga – State Senator and Majority Whip Steve Gooch (R – Dahlonega) outlined the senate plan to prevent voter fraud accusations in the future.
The state senate is holding an Oversight Committee hearing on Thursday, December 3 at 10:00 a.m. in Room 450 of the State Capitol. They will be evaluating the election process to ensure the integrity of Georgia’s voting process.
Later, a Judiciary Special Subcommittee will convene on Thursday, December 3 at 1:00 p.m. in Room 450 of the State Capitol. They will take testimony of elections improprieties and evaluate the election process to ensure Georgia’s voting integrity.
Livestreaming will be available at https://livestream.com/accounts/26021522/events/8730585
“We will be able to look at the process of this election and all elections going forward,” Gooch explained. “We’ve got to start today. First, we’ve got to start today to get both Senators David Perdue (R) and Kelly Loeffler (R) reelected, but we also have to start today on election reform in Georgia.”
They want input from the public and people with evidence of any election wrongdoing to come forward so that they can take swift action. However, the state oversight committee doesn’t possess the same subpoena power enjoyed at the federal level.
The Georgia General Assembly can’t call a special session without a 3/5 majority unless the governor calls them back to the Capitol. Right now, the oversight committee hearing is their best option until the Assembly opens on January 11, 2021.
“We want to get to the bottom of some of the allegations put out there,” Gooch said. “If anyone has done anything wrong, they need to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I don’t care who that person is.”
According to Gooch, Governor Brian Kemp’s emergency powers are “narrowly defined” to only address the COVID-19 issue. He couldn’t call a special session to address the election using these powers. Also, Georgia Code 38-3-53 outlines that the General Assembly can meet “through the initiative of the members thereof following an emergency or disaster resulting from manmade or natural causes or enemy attack impending or affecting this state.” No mention of potential voter fraud or elections.
Also, the Democrats won’t vote to go into a special session to overturn election results.
“Can the Georgia State Senate overturn the results of November 3? I don’t think we can. Can a court system do that? Possibly. I think that’s where the course of action has to take place at this point in time. It has to come from the court system. I don’t know anything that we’re going to get done in the next eight to ten days that’s going to overturn what’s happened,” Gooch stated.
Georgia Voter Confidence
The Majority Whip went on to address the lost confidence in the voting system among Georgians.
“I believe voters have lost confidence in the system as it is today. They do not trust the integrity of the voting system that we have in place right now. Whether that is a correct feeling or not, that’s the assumption that I get when I hear from my constituents,” he said.
Gooch went on to say it was “imperative” that the judge’s rule on the election lawsuits as soon as possible. If the Dominion system proved corrupt, then there is a possibility of removing the machines before the runoff.
“We have to have that proof. We have to have that documentation,” Gooch affirmed. “We have to that ruling from a court system in order to establish the fact that those machines are tainted, and they can’t be relied upon in this January 5 election.”
According to Gooch, the most likely area for Georgia’s voter fraud occurred in the absentee ballots’ verification process. He added that no one in Georgia should be allowed to sign their name and send in an application to receive a ballot. Everyone should “show up in person and show a photo ID.”
“I personally would like to do back to the original way we voted, and that is everybody came and voted in person unless you were in the military or you had a specific reason why you could not show up to vote on election day,” Gooch explained.
He’s also against ballot drop boxes, calling them “a book drop at a public library.”
“January 5 has just become the most important election in our lifetime. We have to preserve some balance of power in the U.S. Congress. Otherwise, you have Democrats running the U.S. House, the U.S. Senate, and the Presidency, and that could have devastating impacts on us for decades into the future. We have to get out the vote,” he finished.
Perdue: “Georgia’s not turning blue” in anticipation for Jan. runoff
Featured, Featured Stories, News November 15, 2020
U.S. Senator candidate Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue talked to Georgia voters in Forsyth County. They hosted a large crowd at Black Diamond Grill at 3 p.m.
The goal was to reach voters in the area to encourage voting for the runoffs on Jan. 5. The race between GOP Sen. David Perdue and Democrat Jon Ossoff will be the first runoff.
The second runoff will be between Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler and Democrat Raphael Warnock. The outcome of the runoff will determine which party will have control over the Senate.
Loeffler made it clear to the Georgia voters that she plans to continue to be the voice for each of them.
“Make no mistake, we are the firewall, not just for the U.S. Senate but for the future of our country,” Loeffler said.
The runoff is crucial to the representation of the Republican party. All Georgia citizens have to do is get their vote out, Perdue said.
“Georgia’s not turning blue,” Perdue said.
Loeffler said Perdue and herself ensure the “conservative values” for each Georgian, and further stressed the importance of voting in the runoff.
“No one is going to outwork us to make sure that Georgian’s have what they need,” Loeffler said. “America has the freedoms that we deserve and that our God given rights of the Constitution. We’re going to continue for conservative rights, for affordable healthcare, for school choice, for conservative values that lift everyone up. We will be your voice in Washington if you’re our voice on January 5.”
Secretary of State Raffensperger holding press conference
News November 4, 2020
ATLANTA, Ga – Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has called an 11:30 a.m. press conference on Wednesday, November 4, 2020.
Georgia being called for President Trump
Featured Stories, News November 4, 2020
ATLANTA, Ga – InsiderAdvantage has called Georgia for President Donald Trump with almost all the votes counted.
“InsiderAdvantage Chairman Matt Towery says, ‘I was amazed that Georgia was not called last night. There are not enough votes available to bring this race much closer or to create a contested situation. There was no Democratic wave in Georgia, despite what most pollsters and the national media had trumpeted.'”
Towery is a veteran pollster and has accurately polled the winner of every state so far.
Georgia has 16 electoral college votes and will take Donald Trump to 229. Joe Biden currently has 238 electoral college votes.
See the complete InsiderAdvantage story, here.
Andrew Clyde declares victory in Georgia’s Ninth District
Featured, Featured News, Featured Stories, News August 11, 2020
NORTH GEORGIA – Earlier tonight, Andrew Clyde said, “I’m declaring victory tonight” to a room full of supporters in Commerce, Ga. after he clinched the GOP nomination for the U.S. House of Representatives Ninth District seat.
The night ended fairly early for the gun shop owner and Navy Veteran with the race being called before 10 p.m. on Tuesday, August 11. Clyde won 55.96 percent of the vote with 85 percent reporting. Gurtler received 44.04 percent of the vote. He carried at least 15 of the 20 counties in the Ninth District. Gilmer County was still out at the time this article was published.
President Donald Trump has already called Clyde to congratulate him on winning a hard-fought race.
Clyde at his victory party in Commerce. Ga.
Now that the runoff is over, Clyde and company will turn their eyes to November. The Republican candidate will face Democrat Devin Pandy, who also won his runoff tonight.
Whoever wins on November 3rd will take Representative Doug Collins (R) seat in the House of Representatives. Collins is currently in a race for Kelly Loeffler’s (R) senate seat.
Clyde will be appearing on FYNTV.com with Brian Pritchard on Thursday at 8.am.
See how all the statewide races in FYN’s coverage area turned out, here.
Interested in viewing local races? Visit the specific county to see who won their runoffs.
General Primary 2020 State Election Returns
Election, Featured, Featured Stories, Politics June 9, 2020
NORTH GEORGIA – Find out who won in what General Primary races in the FYN coverage area from state representatives and senators to Congressional candidates. FYN will update with the unofficial winners as soon as results come in. Please remember these election returns are unofficial until certified.
STATE
Representatives
State Representative District 1
Republican
Runoff Candidate: Mike Cameron – 37.07%
Runoff Candidate: John Deffenbaugh – 41.74%
Vikki Mills – 21.19%
State Representative District 2
Republican
Presumptive Winner: Steve Tarvin (Incumbent)
State Representative District 3
Republican
Presumptive Winner: Dewayne Hill (Incumbent) – 61.78%
Jeff Holcomb – 38.22%
State Representative District 4
Republican
Presumptive Winner: Kasey Carpenter (Incumbent)
State Representative District 5
Republican
Presumptive Winner: Matt Barton (Incumbent)
Democrat
Presumptive Winner: Orianna Sanders
State Representative District 6
Republican
Presumptive Winner: Jason Ridley (Incumbent)
State Representative District 7
Republican
Presumptive Winner: David Ralston (Incumbent)
Democrat
Presumptive Winner: Rick Day
District 8 State Representative
Republican
Presumptive Winner: Stan Gunter – 65.24%
Steve Townsend – 34.76%
Democrat
Presumptive Winner: Dave Cooper – 100%
State Representative District 9
Republican
Runoff Candidate: Steve Liebel – 20.27%
Doug Sherrill – 17.81%
Clint Smith – 8.16%
Tyler Tolin – 7.02%
Zack Tumlin – 11.89%
Runoff Candidate: Will Wade – 34.85%
Democrat
Presumptive Winner: Sharon Ravert
State Representative District 10
Republican
Victor Anderson
Robert Crumley
Jimmy Dean
Democrat
Presumptive Winner: Nick Mitchell
State Representative District 11
Republican
Presumptive Winner: Rick Jasperse (Incumbent) – 82.62%
Charlotte Williamson – 17.38%
Democrat
Presumptive Winner: Kayla Hollifield
State Representative District 12
Republican
Presumptive Winner: Eddie Lumsden (Incumbent)
Democrat
Presumptive Winner: Johnathan Gilreath-Harvey
State Representative District 13
Republican
Brad Barnes – 22.14%
Presumptive Winner: Katie Dempsey (Incumbent) – 77.86%
State Representative District 14
Republican
Presumptive Winner: Mitchell Scoggins (Incumbent)
State Representative District 16
Republican
Jennifer Hulsey – 32.90%
Presumptive Winner: Trey Kelley (Incumbent) – 67.10%
Democrat
Presumptive Winner: Lyndsay Arrendale
State Representative District 17
Republican
Presumptive Winner: Martin Momtahan (Incumbent)
Democrat
Presumptive Winner: Q. Dailey
State Representative District 19
Republican
Presumptive Winner: Joseph Gullett (Incumbent)
Democrat
Presumptive Winer: Alison Feliciano
State Representative District 22
Republican
Presumptive Winner: Wes Cantrell (Incumbent)
Democrat
Presumptive Winner: Charles Ravenscraft
State Representative District 24
Republican
Presumptive Winner: Sheri Gilligan (Incumbent)
Democrat
Presumptive Winner: Natalie Bucsko
State Representative District 25
Republican
Presumptive Winner: Todd Jones (Incumbent)
Democrat
Presumptive Winner: Christa Olenczak
State Representative District 26
Republican
Presumptive Winner: Lauren McDonald
Democrat
Presumptive Winner: Jason Boskey
State Representative District 27
Republican
Presumptive Winner: Lee Hawkins (Incumbent)
State Representative District 28
Republican
Presumptive Winner: Chris Erwin (Incumbent)
State Representative District 29
Republican
Presumptive Winner: Matt Dubnik (Incumbent)
Democrat
Presumptive Winner: Pat Calmes
State Representative District 30
Republican
Presumptive Winner: Emory Dunahoo Jr (Incumbent)
Democrat
Presumptive Winner: Leigh Miller
State Representative District 31
Republican
Presumptive Winner: Tommy Benton (Incumbent)
Democrat
Presumptive Winner: Pete Fuller
State Representative District 32
Republican
Presumptive Winner: Alan Powell (Incumbent)
Democrat
Presumptive Winner: Alisha Allen
State Representative District 66
Republican
Presumptive Winner: Jason Jones
Democrat
Presumptive Winner: Kimberly Alexander (Incumbent)
State Representative District 67
Republican
Presumptive Winner: Micah Gravley
Democrat
Presumptive Winner: Angela Mayfield
State Representative District 98
Republican
Presumptive Winner: David Clark (Incumbent)
Democrat
Presumptive Winner: Taeho Cho
State Representative District 103
Republican
Presumptive Winner: Timothy Barr (Incumbent) – 62.89%
Derrick McCollum – 31.64%
Donald Schmidt – 5.47%
Democrat
Presumptive Winner: Clifton Marshall
State Representative District 117
Republican
Presumptive Winner: Houston Gaines (Incumbent)
Democrat
Presumptive Winner: Jasmine Johnson
SENATORS
State Senate District 24
Republican
Presumptive Winner: Lee Anderson (Incumbent)
State Senate District 27
Republican
Presumptive Winner: Greg Dolezal (Incumbent)
Democrat
Presumptive Winner: Brooke Griffiths
State Senate District 47
Republican
Presumptive Winner: Frank Ginn (Incumbent)
Democrat
Presumptive Winner: Dawn Johnson
State Senate District 49
Republican
Presumptive Winner: Cecil T. “Butch” Miller (Incumbent)
State Senator District 50
Republican
Andy Garrison – 14.43%
Dan Gasaway – 7.23%
Runoff Candidate: Stacy Hall – 24.41%
Runoff Candidate: Bo Hatchett – 23.45%
Tricia Hise – 18.04%
Lee Moore – 12.54%
Democrat
Presumptive Winner: Dee Daley
State Senator District 51
Republican
Presumptive Winner: Steve Gooch (Incumbent)
Democrat
Presumptive Winner: June Krise
State Senate District 52
Republican
Presumptive Winner: Deborah Silcox (Incumbent)
Democrat
Presumptive Winner: Shea Roberts
State Senate District 53
Democrat
Presumptive Winner: Sheila Jones (Incumbent)
State Senate District 54
Republican
Dan McEntire – 40.41%
Presumptive Winner: Chuck Payne (Incumbent) – 59.86%
Public Service Commission District 4
Republican
Presumptive Winner: Lauren “Bubba” McDonald, Jr. (Incumbent)
Democrat
Presumptive Winner: Daniel Blackman – 71.01%
John Noel – 29.99
Libertarian
Presumptive Winner: Nathan Wilson
FEDERAL
Ninth District U.S. Congress
Republican
Michael Boggus – 3.20%
Paul Broun – 13.27%
Runoff Candidate: Andrew Clyde – 18.46%
Runoff Candidate: Matt Gurtler – 20.96%
Maria Strickland – 3.47%
Kevin Tanner – 15.81%
Ethan Underwood – 8.63%
Kellie Weeks – 4.57%
John Wilkinson – 11.62%
Democrat
Runoff Candidate: Devin Pandy – 33.57%
Runoff Candidate: Brooke Siskin – 41.21%
Dan Wilson – 25.23%
14th District U.S. Congress
Republican
John Barge – 8.50%
Ben Bullock – 3.80%
Kevin Cooke – 6.52%
Runoff Candidate: John Cowan – 18.65%
Clayton Fuller – 7.23%
Runoff Candidate: Marjorie Greene – 41.34%
Andy Gunther – 1.17%
Bill Hembree – 6.81%
Matt Laughridge – 5.99%
Democrat
Presumptive Winner: Kevin Van Ausdal
United States Senate – Perdue Seat
Republican
Presumptive Winner: David Perdue (Incumbent)
Democrat
Sarah Riggs Amico – 13.30%
Marc Keith DeJesus – 4.68%
James Knox – 5.08%
Tricia Carpenter McCracken – 3.39%
Runoff Candidate: Jon Ossoff – 48.96%
Maya Dillard Smith – 10.32%
Runoff Candidate: Teresa Pike Tomlinson – 14.76%
Libertarian
Shane Hazel
Presidential Primary
Republican
Donald Trump (Incumbent) – 100%
Democrat
Joe Biden – 83.44%
Run-off elections will be held on August 11 if needed. The General Election is scheduled for November 3 as well as the jungle primary for Senator Kelly Loeffler’s seat.
See the entire state’s election returns on the Secretary of State’s website.