Could Clear Evidence of Georgia Election Fraud Be in the Bag?

CCTV footage suggests that thousands of ballots were stashed in hidden luggage. In light of this evidence, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has called for a signature audit from his secretary of state. (YouTube screenshot)

ATLANTA — One of the more vexing issues confronting those who would like to prove fraud in the 2020 Georgia general election has been the ability to offer visual proof to back up affidavit accusations. This is largely due to the fact that still cameras and video recording equipment are for the most part prohibited at the polls. But such proof may have been dropped yesterday during a hearing before members of the Georgia State Judiciary Subcommittee, when attorney Jackie Pick presented portions of a CCTV recording from the State Farm Arena.

This video appears to show election workers counting thousands of ballots which were inexplicably stashed in several pieces of luggage beneath a covered table. The tabulation of these ballots occurred after counting at the arena had been stopped and observers say they were told to leave – ostensibly because of a water pipe break.

Pick apologized for only showing a small portion of the video (about 12 minutes from a 14 hour recording) but what she did show to the senators appears at first glance to be quite damning.

 

The video shows four election workers remaining in the absentee and military counting area for nearly two hours after clearing the room of local press and at least two poll watchers. Once the room is clear, the poll workers retrieve four large travel cases from beneath a cloth-covered folding table. Each case is wheeled to a counting table, where the workers begin to tabulate an unknown number of paper ballots.

This tabulation continues, Pick explains, until the poll workers finally pack up and leave the counting area — just minutes before two Republican poll watchers (who were acting on a tip) returned to the State Farm Arena.

Pick said that during the time these ballots were tabulated, the poll workers labored unobserved and unsupervised – contrary to a statute passed by the Georgia State Legislature.

(Section § 21-2-408 of the Official Code Of Georgia states that candidates and political parties are entitled to have official poll watchers on hand throughout the election. Presumably, such access would preclude them from being told to leave while even one vote was counted. Additionally, information regarding absentee balloting procedures and process {O.C.G.A. § 21-2-381-O.C.G.A. §21-2-386} reaffirms the access granted poll watchers in Section § 21-2-408 .)

Pick said that, given the time the workers were left alone and the estimated capacity of the travel cases, as many as 18,000 ballots could have been counted.

“These machines can process about 3,000 ballots an hour. You have multiple machines there. And (the workers) are there for two hours. So, you do the math: How many ballots went through those machines in those two hours when there was no one there to supervise; to be present — consistent with your statutes and rules — to supervise the tabulation? We believe that could easily be and probably is certainly beyond the margin of victory in this race. Because it’s only three scanners working for two hours. That’s 18,000 ballots that went through,” said Pick.

SERIOUS QUESTIONS

In a brief Q&A after Pick’s presentation, Georgia Senator Elena Parent assumed the role of skeptical interrogator.

“We heard from the Secretary of State’s office earlier — just a couple hours ago — that they’ve investigated this repeatedly; that they had a monitor on site the entire time; and frankly, this has been debunked for weeks, by our Secretary of State’s office,” said Parent.

“I doubt he’s seen the video,” replied Pick.

“I think the courts will be able to handle this, once you present your evidence to them,” said Parent. “The question is, since this has been debunked repeatedly, what evidence can you give to us that counters what our election officials presented us with only an hour ago?”

“You just saw it,” replied Pick. “Your officials need to watch the video.”

Near the end of the Q&A, Senator Steve Gooch returned to Parent’s assertion that the video evidence had been debunked.

“I heard you say, several times this has been debunked. I also just heard that this video just appeared last night. So how could it have been debunked?” asked Gooch.

“My thought, not being an expert,” replied Parent, “is that these very allegations came up right away after the election – almost a month ago – and have been repeatedly discussed by the Secretary of State’s office, including everything that we’re seeing here. And there have been explanations for all of it.”

“Is this not the first time this video has been shown?” asked Gooch.

“I believe that this is the first time this video has been seen,” said another senator off camera.

“And the media hasn’t seen it?” asked Gooch.

“They have not.”

“Well, they will (see it) today,” said Gooch.

DENIALS OF IMPROPRIETY

A counter to the allegations of impropriety asserted by the Trump team, appeared in the form of a “fact check” post on the Seattle-based website Lead Stories. The piece said in part:

“Frances Watson, chief investigator for the Georgia secretary of state, told Lead Stories during a phone call on December 3, 2020, that the ballots were in standard containers, and the work during the time in question had nothing to do with pulling ballots from under a table. She said:

There wasn’t a bin that had ballots in it under that table. It was an empty bin and the ballots from it were actually out on the table when the media were still there, and then it was placed back into the box when the media were still there and placed next to the table.

“There was never an announcement made to the media and other observers about the counting being over for the night and them needing to leave, according to Watson, who was provided information by the media liaison, who was present. She said they just followed the “cutters” as they left. She said:

Nobody told them to stay. Nobody told them to leave. Nobody gave them any advice on what they should do. And It was still open for them or the public to come back in to view at whatever time they wanted to, as long as they were still working.

“In addition, she explained that the only ballots that were scanned after the media and other observers had left were those that had already been opened in front of these observers.

“Contrary to the claim, the ballots were not in suitcases, she said. The black boxes and bins seen in the video are the standard container used for the ballot counting process.

“A state election board monitor, who asked for his name not to be used due to safety concerns, told Lead Stories on the phone on December 3, 2020, that he was present at the vote counting location beginning at 11:52 p.m., after leaving briefly at earlier in the evening. He then stayed until about 12:45 a.m., when the work that night was completed.

“The deputy chief investigator for the secretary of state’s office was present beginning at 12:15 a.m. November 4, he said.”

SWORN AFFIDAVITS

Pick said, along with the surveillance tape, the Trump team has several signed affidavits by witnesses who affirm under the penalty of perjury that at about 10 o’clock p.m. on Nov. 3rd, everyone in the absentee counting room was told to leave on the basis they were going to stop counting ballots, and to return at 8:30 in the morning.

These same witnesses say that a certain state official left the room when they did — leaving the four poll workers to carry on alone.

Critics of the Georgia election maintain that – aside from the inference that may be drawn from the surveillance tape – the timestamps on the video could play an important part in litigating the election. These critics note that a clear tie may be found between the counting of “illegal” ballots and the dramatic spike in votes for Vice-President Joe Biden.

In light of the video evidence, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has called for a signature audit from his secretary of state.

The full presentation by Jackie Pick may be seen below. Readers are strongly encouraged to watch the entire presentation and consider the evidence and rebuttals before making up their minds.

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