AT 4:00.
LARA: THE RACE FOR THE WHITE HOUSE STILL TOO CLOSE TO CALL.
GOOD AFTERNOON.
I'M LARA MORTIZ.
KELLY: AND I’M KELLY ECKERMAN.
THAT SURGE OF EARLY AND MAIL IN VOTING IS LEADING TO DELAYS TABULATING ALL THE VOTES.
THE LATEST STATE TO BE CALLED THIS AFTERNOON WISCONSIN.
IT WENT TO JOE BIDEN GIVING HIM 10 MORE ELECTORAL VOTES AND LARA HERE IS WHERE THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE STANDS RIGHT NOW.
BIDEN HAS 240 ELECTORAL VOT TO DONALD TRUMP 214.
ABCS ANDREW DYMBURT IS IN WASHINGTON TRACKING THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS.
>> IT’S A RACE TO THE FINISH LINE AND THE MARGIN STILL RAZOR THIN IN THE STATES THAT COULD TIP THE SCALES IN THE 2020 ELECTION AS PREDICTED FOR MONTHS,
COUNTING THE RECORD SHATTERING NUMBER OF MAIL IN AND ABSENTEE VOTES IN BATTLEGROUND STATES IS TAKING TIME AS ANXIOUS AMERICANS WAIT TO SEE WHO WINS THE WHITE HOUSE.
ALTHOUGH THE RACE IS STILL TOO CLOSE TO PROJECT, LAST NIGHT, BOTH PRESIDENT TRUMP AND JOE BIDEN SECURING SEVERAL ALL IMPORTANT WINS.
WE ARE NOW PROJECTING THE DONALD TRUMP WILL WIN OHIO, DO HAVE ANOTHER STATE TO PROJECT AND IT IS THE STATE OF VIRGINIA GOING TO JOE BIDEN.
>> IT WAS A ROLLER COASTER ELECTION NIGHT FOR BOTH CANDIDATES SEEING LEADS YOU BACK -- EVAPORATE AND CHANGE.
BIDEN ADDRESSING THE NATION THIS EVENING, NOT DECLARING VICTORY BUT SAYING HE IS CONFIDENT HE WILL WIN ONCE THE VOTES ARE COUNTED AREA >> WE, THE PEOPLE WILL NOT BE
SILENCED WE, THE PEOPLE WILL NOT BE BULLIED.
WE, THE PEOPLE WILL NOT SURRENDER.
MY FRIENDS, I AM CONFIDENT WE WILL EMERGE VICTORIOUS.
>> PRESIDENT TRUMP AGAIN CASTING DOUBTS ON THE ELECTION’S INTEGRITY WITHOUT EVIDENCE.
DEMANDING THAT NO MORE VOTES BE COUNTED.
>> WE WANT VOTING TO STOP.
WE DON’T WANT THEM TO FIND ANY BALLOTS AT 4:00 IN THE MORNING AND ADD THEM TO THE LIST. OK?
>> LEGAL EXPERTS SAY, TH PRESIDENT CAN’T STOP THE VOTE COUNTING, AND STATE OFFICIALS ARE PROMISING TO COUNT EVERY VALID VOTE.
>> OUR ELECTION CLERKS AND WORKERS HAVE BEEN WORKING THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT TO TABULATE EVERY VOTE AND ENSURE THAT EVERY VOTE IS COUNTED.
>> EVERY LEGAL VOTE WILL COUNT.
WITH ALL PRECINCTS REPORTING IN WISCONSIN AND JOE BIDEN HOLDING JUST A HALF-POINT LEAD, ABC NEWS IS CHARACTERIZING BIDEN AS THE APPARENT WINNER IN THE STATE.
TRUMP’S TEAM ALREADY PROMISING A RECOUNT.
BIDEN IS ALSO HOLDING ON TO MUCH OF THE BLUE WALL STATES BUT THERE COULD BE CRACKS.
TRUMP IS LEADING I THERE ARE MILLIONS MORE BALLOTS TO BE TALLIED, AND THE US SUPREME COURT RULED THEY HAVE THROUGH FRIDAY TO COUNT THEM.
KELLY: WE KNOW ALREADY, THE PRESIDENT’S CAMPAIGN SAYS IT HAS FILED A LAWSUIT TRYING TO HALT THE VOTE COUNT IN MICHIGAN AND PENNSYLVANIA AND PLANS TO IMMEDIATELY REQUEST A RECOUNT IN
WISCONSIN.
LARA: THIS AFTERNOON TWO LOCAL POLITICAL PROFESSORS SAY THEY BELIEVE THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE WILL BE DECIDED BY THE END OF THE WEEK.
OUR MICHEAL MAHONEY CONTINUING THIS PORTION OF OUR COVERAGE NOW MICHEAL?
MICHAEL: BOTH MEN THINK IT’S VERY LIKELY DEMOCRAT JOE BIDEN WINS THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
AS WE JUST SAW IN THAT REPORT, BOTH THINK THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE THIS WILL BE RESOLVED BY THE END OF THE WEEK.
THEY AGREE THAT BIDEN HAS THE EASIER PATH TO THE WHITE HOUSE, AND THAT WAS BEFORE HE WON WISCONSIN, IN MID-AFTERNOON.
PROFESSOR MATT HARRIS SAYS THE KEY IS WHETHER OR NOT OTHER REPUBLICANS FOLLOW THE PRESIDENT’S LEAD TO CHALLENGE THE RESULT >> THE GOP, REPUBLICAN PARTY
LEADERSHIP, MAY NOT BE AS WILLING TO GO DOWN THIS RABBIT HOLE AS DONALD TREUMP IS.
MICHAEL: PROFESSOR JOHN ADAM MACLENNAN SAYS THE TRUMP CALL FOR A WISCONSIN RE-COUNT IS UNLIKELY TO DISCOVER THE ENOUGH VOTES FOR THE PRESIDENT TO CHANGE THAT STATE’S RESULTS.
>> THERE ALSO HAS NOT BEEN ANY EVIDENCE OF FAILURES TO COUNTI IREGULARITIES OR MANIPULATIO NONE OF IT HAS BEEN PROCVEN YET, SO.
MICHAE NEITHER MAN WAS SURPRISED BY THE LOCAL RESULT.
CONGRESSWOMAN SHARICE DAVIDS RE-ELECTION VICTORY REVEALS A TREND.
>> JOHNSON COUNTY IS MOVING MORE BLUE.
AND WHEN YOU PUT THAT TOGETH WI WYANDOTTE, I FIGURED SHE WOULD WIN PRETTY EASILY.
MICHAEL: AND THAT IT’S LIKLEY FUTURE BIG ELECTIONS WILL NOT SEE MORE ADVANCE VOTING, BUT MORE MAIL-IN VOTING.
>> AND IT HAS BECOME MORE POPULAR BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE GOTTEN A TASTE FOR IT.
MICHAEL: MORE THAN A MILLION KANSAS VOTERS CAST AN ADVANCED BALLOT OR VOTING BY MAIL, MISSOURI ALSO SET RECORDS FOR ABSENTEE IN PERSON VOTING AND THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME EVER
THAT MISSOURI TRIED MAIL-IN BALLOTS.
NEITHER ESTATE SAW ANY MAJOR PROBLEMS.
LARA: MISSOURI SECRETARY OF STATE JAY ASHCRAFT THANKS ALL THE POLL WORKERS TODAY FOR MAKING THE BIG BOAT RUN SMOOTHLY.
KELLY: THE RESIDENTS OF PETTIS COUNTY MISSOURI HAVE SELECTED A NEW SHERIFF.
KEVIN BOND LOST IN HIS RUN FOR REELECTION LAST NIGHT.
BOND HAS SPENT THE LAST FEW MONTHS IN THE MIDST OF CONTROVERSY OVER THE FATAL OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTING OF HANNAH FIZER HE WAS DEFEATED BY BRAD ANDE
BY LESS THAN 350 VOTES.
NO BODY CAMERA OR DASHCAM VIDEO OF THE ENCOUNTER BETWEEN A PETTIS COUNTY DEPUTY AND HANNAH FIZER EXISTS.
AT THE TIME, BOND SAID THE DEPARTMENT’S DEPUTIES HAD STOPPED WEARING CAMERAS ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO.
LARA: IN KANSAS CITY KANSAS, A 20-YEAR-OLD WHO ADMITTED TO CIRCULATING REVENGE PORN IS HEADED TO THE STATE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
AARON COLEMAN RAN UNOPPOSED TO REPRESENT PART OF KANSAS CITY, KANSAS.
HE DFEATED SEVEN-TERM INCUMBENT STAN FROWNFELTER BY JUST 14 VOTES IN THE PRIMARY ELECTION.
COLEMAN ANGERED MANY EARLY IN THE ELECTION CYCLE FOR CONTROVERSIAL COMMENTS ON COVID-19 AND ABORTION.
HE LATER ISSUED APOLOGIES FOR BOTH THE COMMENTS AND THE SEXUAL HARASSMENT TO WHICH HE ADMITTED.
STAY WITH ABC AND CHANNEL 9 AS THE RESULTS FROM THE ELECTION CONTINUE TO COME.
YOU CAN FIND THE LATEST RESULTS ON -AIR AND ONLINE AT KMBC.COM.
WE ALSO KNOW ABC NEWS WILL AIR A ONE-HOUR SPECIAL ON THE ELECTION TONIGHT.
YOU’LL BE ABLE TO WATCH IT RIGHT HERE AT 9:00 P.M KELLY: KELLY: THIS AFTERNOON WE’RE INVESTIGATING WHAT CRITICS ARE CALLING SWEETHEART DEALS, AND GOLDEN PARACHUTE SEVERANCE
PACKAGES FOR 5 TOP CLAY COUNTY EMPLOYEES.
LARA: THE DEALS MEAN TAXPAYERS ARE ON THE HOOK FOR HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN PAYOUTS.
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER MATT FLENER IS IN LIBERTY THI AFTERNOON TO EXPLAIN THE DEALS , MATT?
>> THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE SEVERANCE PACKAGES CAME JUST BEFORE 5:00 ON ELECTION DAY.
IT IS A MOLD BOO -- BOLD MOVE BY THE ADMINISTRATION MYRON CONTROVERSY.
>> IT IS PAR FOR THE CURSE, WHAT WE HAVE SEEN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
>> ACTIVIST JASON WHITTINGTON JUST SAW STATE AUDIT -- NEW SEVERAL PACKAGES FOR THE TOP EMPLOYEES HE HAD TRIED SO HARD TO REFORM.
>> THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE CAUSING THE PROBLEMS AND NOW US AS TAXPAYERS ARE PAYING THEM TO LEAVE.
>> THE PAYOUTS INVOLVE THE COUNTY’S THREE TOP ADMINISTRATORS.
BRAD GARRETT, NICOLE BROWN, AND LAURIE PORTWOOD.
PLUS TWO OTHER EMPLOYEES.
EARLIER THIS YEAR KMBC UNCOVERED HOW GARRETT AND BROWN, GOT DEALS TO LIVE IN COUNTY MANAGED PROPERTIES AT TAXPAYER EXPENSE THEY NOW WALK AWAY, ALONG WITH THE OTHER EMPLOYEES, WITH
PAYOUTS TOTALLING AT LEAST $354,000 FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED BUT, THAT’S NOT ALL.
TAXPAYERS ARE ALSO ON THE HOOK FOR THEIR LEGAL BILLS AT T COUNTY’S EXPENSE IF THEY’RE SUED.
PLUS 300 TO 500 PER DAY IF ANY OF THEM TESTIFY IN THE ONGOING STATE AUDIT OR ANY OTHER LAWSUI THE DEALS, ALL APPROVED BY LAME-DUCK COMMISSIONERS, GEN
OWEN AND LUANN RIDGEWAY WHO HAVE FOUGHT A STATE AUDIT FOR YEARS.
>> WHAT ELSE ARE GENE AND LUANN GOING TO DO BEFORE THEY LEAVE OFFICE?
>> IN THESE SEVERANCE AGREEMENTS, THEY ACTUALLY CLAIM A COUPLE OF THESE ADMINISTRATORS CLAIM HARASSMENT BY PRESIDING COMMISSIONER JERRY NOLTE, WHO CALLS THEIR CLAIMS FLAT OU
LIES.
WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO REPORT ON THIS OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
KE