ATLANTA (AP) 鈥� The Georgia State Election Board on Wednesday voted to dismiss a against a conservative group that was to support its claims of ballot stuffing in the state.
Texas-based True the Vote in 2021 filed complaints with Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, including one in which it said it had obtained 鈥渁 detailed account of coordinated efforts to collect and deposit ballots in drop boxes across metro Atlanta鈥� during the November 2020 election and a crucial runoff election for two U.S. Senate seats in January 2021.
Investigators with the secretary's office looked into the group's complaints and in April 2022 subpoenaed True the Vote for evidence supporting its allegations. A lawyer for the group wrote to a state attorney in May 2023 that a complete response would require it to identify people to whom it had pledged confidentiality and said it was withdrawing its complaints.
Then-State Election Board chair William Duffey responded that the group had made 鈥渟erious allegations鈥� and that he wouldn't allow the complaints to be withdrawn. He asked the state attorney general's office to enforce the subpoenas, and the board filed a lawsuit.
A Fulton County judge in November 2023 ordered True the Vote to provide evidence it had collected, including the names of people it said had provided information. The organization said in a subsequent court filing it had no names, contact information or other documentary evidence to provide. The case was administratively closed in January 2024.
Election Board member Janice Johnston on Wednesday proposed dismissing the lawsuit, withdrawing the subpoena and dismissing the group's complaint. She said it is apparent that an alleged whistleblower whom True the Vote said it was relying on for evidence 鈥渨ill not be identified or cannot be identified鈥� and that the investigation was unlikely to be successful as a result.
After a brief discussion, the board voted to approve Johnston's proposal.
Catherine Engelbrecht, president of True the Vote, said in an emailed statement that the organization welcomes the dismissal of the case, which she described as 鈥渁 legal dispute that never should have begun.鈥� She said the organization 鈥渞emains committed to our mission.鈥�
True the Vote's allegations that people engaged in ballot stuffing in Georgia were relied upon heavily for 鈥�2000 Mules,鈥� a by conservative pundit and filmmaker to cast doubt on the results of the 2020 presidential election. A State Election Board investigation found that surveillance camera footage used in the film showed people submitting ballots for themselves and family members who lived with them, which is allowed under Georgia law.
D'Souza in December issued a statement saying 鈥渋naccurate information鈥� was provided to him about ballot box surveillance video and who was falsely accused of ballot stuffing in the film. Previously, in May, Salem Media Group, the publisher of 鈥�2000 Mules,鈥� to the same man.
Kate Brumback, The Associated Press
