The conservative group, which had initially claimed to possess evidence of ballot harvesting in Georgia’s 2020 election, admitted to the judge that they did not actually have any evidence to support their claim.
In April 2022, Channel 2 Action News initially brought attention to this story. The Office of Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger launched an investigation in response to allegations made by the group “True the Vote.” However, the group declined to disclose their source, prompting further scrutiny.
“We were informed by credible sources, and upon reviewing the information provided, we found it to be valid. Curious to know the identity of these sources, we inquired further, to which they responded, ‘We are aware of their identity, but unfortunately, we cannot disclose it,'” Raffensperger shared with investigative reporter Mark Winne from Channel 2.
Last year, a judge from Fulton County Superior Court in Atlanta issued an order that mandated True the Vote to submit the evidence it had gathered, which included the names of individuals who served as information sources, to state elections officials. This order was prompted by the group’s refusal to cooperate with investigators and share the evidence they had collected.
True the Vote’s attorneys stated in their written response that the group does not possess any names or other documentary evidence to provide.
According to Mike Hassinger, a spokesperson for Raffensperger, True the Vote has once again failed to provide any evidence to support their allegations. He states that their claims of ballot harvesting have been debunked multiple times, just like the other lies surrounding Georgia’s 2020 election.
True the Vote’s claims were heavily relied upon in the creation of the film “2000 Mules” by conservative pundit and filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza. However, an investigation by the State Election Board found that the surveillance camera footage that the film used to support its claim of ballot stuffing actually depicted people submitting their own ballots and those of family members who resided with them, which is permissible under Georgia law.
The election board issued a subpoena to True the Vote, requesting them to provide evidence that could aid in their investigation of the group’s allegations of ballot trafficking.
According to True the Vote’s complaint, their investigators interviewed multiple individuals who had personal knowledge of the methods and organizations involved in ballot trafficking in Georgia. The complaint highlighted that one individual, referred to as John Doe, openly admitted to personally participating in the process and provided detailed information about the ballot trafficking process.
Georgia officials grew increasingly frustrated with True the Vote’s unwillingness to share evidence, prompting them to take the matter to court last year. In response, a judge issued an order requiring True the Vote to disclose the names and contact information of individuals who had provided information, along with any recordings, transcripts, witness statements, or other relevant documents substantiating their allegations.
In a legal filing on December 11, the group’s attorneys, David Oles and Michael Wynne, stated that despite their best efforts, the group was unable to find any responsive items. They had made every additional reasonable effort to locate the items, but unfortunately, came up empty-handed.
State elections officials initiated their own investigation upon receiving the complaint from True the Vote two months later. True the Vote attempted to withdraw their complaint when asked to provide names of sources and supporting documents. In a letter from one of their attorneys, it was stated that complying with the request would involve revealing the identities of individuals who were promised confidentiality.
The State Election Board did not dismiss the complaint and instead took legal action to compel True the Vote to provide the requested information.
The judge has also instructed True the Vote to furnish copies of any confidentiality agreements it may have with sources.
The attorneys representing the group responded by stating, “TTV does not have any documents in its possession, custody, or control.”
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