August M
A newly disclosed audio recording is drawing renewed attention to Donald Trump’s efforts to challenge the outcome of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia, even as a major criminal case tied to those actions has now been dropped.
The recording, first reported by The New York Times, captures a private phone call between Trump and a senior Georgia lawmaker during the weeks following the election, a period when Trump and his allies were seeking ways to overturn Joe Biden’s narrow victory in the state.
Evidence from a dismissed case
According to The New York Times, the audio was part of a collection of investigative materials assembled for a racketeering case brought by Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis.
Prosecutors accused Trump and 18 associates of attempting to interfere with Georgia’s election process by pressuring state officials and lawmakers.
That case was dismissed last month after a judge found Willis had a romantic relationship with a lawyer she hired to lead the prosecution. On November 26, a replacement prosecutor later concluded that the charges should not move forward, ending the case without a ruling on its underlying allegations.
Details of the call
The newspaper reported that the recording documents a December 7, 2020 conversation between Trump and David Ralston, who was then the Republican speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives. Ralston died in 2022.
At the time of the call, Georgia had already certified its election results, confirming Biden’s victory by roughly 11,000 votes.
During the conversation, Trump encouraged Ralston to consider calling a special legislative session, presenting the idea as a way to promote transparency and investigate claims of election fraud,
In one exchange described by the outlet, Trump asks, “Who’s going to stop you for that?” Ralston replies, “A federal judge, possibly,” notes UNILAD.
False claims repeated
The Times reported that Trump went on to repeat false assertions that he had won Georgia by a large margin, despite recounts and audits that upheld Biden’s win. Trump also revisited conspiracy theories about ballot counting in Atlanta, claims that election officials and courts had previously rejected.
Prosecutors argued that such statements were part of a broader effort to pressure state lawmakers into taking steps that could have led to the appointment of alternative presidential electors. Ralston, however, never agreed to convene a special legislative session.
UNILAD said it has contacted the White House for comment.
Sources: The New York Times, UNILAD
