Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is suing the Biden Department of Justice (DOJ) to enforce a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request regarding data related to the DOJ’s lawsuit being brought against Georgia’s Election Integrity Act, which was implemented in 2021.
Raffensperger’s lawsuit specifically targets potentially alleged underlying political motivations surrounding the DOJ’s lawsuit, seeking to ascertain whether or not any “prominent liberal groups” influenced their lawsuit.
Previously, the Election Integrity Act of 2021 essentially established a legal baseline for election rules in the state of Georgia, implementing reforms such as photo ID requirements, better-secured ballot drop boxes, and more access to voting for all Georgia citizens. It also broadens the penalties for election officials who abuse their position and violate election laws, according to a memo from the Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA).
According to the Georgia Secretary of State’s office, Raffensperger stated the following regarding the DOJ’s attack on Georgia’s new voting law:
“Considering how blatantly political the Biden lawsuit against Georgia’s commonsense election law was from the beginning, it’s no surprise they would stonewall our request for basic transparency. I will always fight for truth and integrity in Georgia’s elections,” he said.
Georgia has been plagued by reports of rampant election irregularities and fraud surrounding the 2020 presidential election. On Friday, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) released a memo to the State Election Board that identified 36 issues with the so-called hand recount and “audit” of the Fulton County election process during the 2020 election. In light of the dubious events surrounding not only Fulton County, but the entire state’s election processes, it’s no wonder that Georgia pushed for the Election Integrity Act in an effort to secure voter protection.
Additionally, Raffensberger’s official website noted the following:
“Since the Secretary Raffensperger submitted the FOIA request, 92 calendar days and 62 workdays have passed with no responsive records released. Like the text of FOIA itself, DOJ’s FOIA guidance sets the expected response time as ‘twenty working days, or approximately one month,’ in accordance with federal law….the DOJ stonewalling ‘is depriving Plaintiffs and the public of vital information needed to determine the extent to which and by what methods the Government is colluding or conspiring with outside entities to carry out a political agenda.’”
One thing is for certain: Georgia is quickly becoming the focal point of chatter regarding election fraud, as well as the target of investigations and questions surrounding what went on during the 2020 presidential election. Will Fulton County soon be the next Maricopa County? Time will tell, but this lawsuit is one step among many being taken right now to restore transparency to the voting process in Georgia.