Georgia Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones (R) released a new advertisement on Monday which attacks Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) over his attendance record over his tenure in his elected position. The advertisement came just days after a federal judge ordered a January trial for a lawsuit against Raffensperger and his office, which are accused of failing to implement a secure electronic voting system.
Jones revealed the video in a post on X, formerly Twitter, and wrote that he is “tired of having a Secretary of State who has shown up to work 42 days this year and his behind his staff to do his job while showboating on liberal TV shows.”
“Since 2021, Brad Raffensperger has spent 70% of the time away from his job—missing important budget hearings, Election Integrity hearings, and literally just not showing up to work,” Jones charged.
The advertisement notes that Raffensperger has not attended an appropriations meeting in the Georgia Senate since 2020, despite the meetings governing his office’s budget. Should Georgians encounter Raffensperger, the video urges them to call a number associated with the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office and “get him back to work.”
I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of having a Secretary of State who has shown up to work 42 days this year and hid behind his staff to do his job while showboating on liberal TV shows.
Since 2021, Brad Raffensperger has spent 70% of the time away from his job—missing… pic.twitter.com/Rezd72nlTM
— Burt Jones (@burtjonesforga) November 13, 2023
The Washington Examiner‘s report, which the narrator references in Jones’ video, specifically cites an open records request it obtained which revealed Raffensperger “had spent 42 days in his office, out of a possible 176 non-weekend/holiday calendar days, for an average of four hours a visit.” The outlet added that since 2021, 70 percent of Raffensperger’s time was spent outside the office.
Just days before the ad launched, 9th District Court Judge Amy Totenburg ordered a January 7 trial for the ongoing lawsuit against Raffensperger and other state officials in a Friday ruling. The lawsuit claims Raffensperger’s administration of the 2020 election, and his agency’s configuration of voting equipment, failed to secure the plaintiffs’ votes.
In her lengthy order declaring the need for the trial, Totenberg referenced a report written by University of Michigan computer science professor Alex Halderman, who was commissioned by the plaintiffs and determined that the state’s election equipment, including its ballot imaging devices (BMDs), are vulnerable to hacking and manipulation.
While Totenberg expressly stated the need for the January trial, she repeatedly indicated that the interests of Georgia voters may be best served if Raffensperger and the other Georgia officials were to compromise with the plaintiffs and reach an amicable solution to address their concerns ahead of the state’s 2024 elections.
She began her order by declaring “reasonable, timely discussion and compromise in this case, coupled with prompt, informed legislative action, might certainly make a difference that benefits the parties and the public,” and near her conclusion stressed, “collaborative efforts to address the issues raised in this case might be more productive for the public good.”
Despite orders barring Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from including Jones in her racketeering case against former President Donald Trump, it was revealed in September that the special grand jury she commissioned recommended indicting the sitting politician for his actions to contest the 2020 election results in Georgia.
– – –
Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Georgia Star News, The Virginia Star, and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
