FRIEND, VERY MUCH, MARK MEREDITH
AT THE WHITE HOUSE RIGHT NOW.
LET’S GO TO BRAT RATHENBURGER,
YOU KNOW HE’S BECOME A HOUSEHOLD
NAME OVER THE LAST FEW WEEK
SINCE THE ELECTION, GEORGIA
SECRETARY OF STATE IN ATLANTA
WITH US RIGHT NOW, SECRETARY,
VERY NICE TO HAVE YOU BACK AGAIN
, THANK YOU FOR COMING IN.
>> GOOD MORNING, NEIL.
NEIL: ALL RIGHT THE PRESIDENT IS
GOING TO BE IN VALDOSTA LATER ON
TONIGHT.
ARE YOU GOING TO BE THERE?
>> NO, SPENDING TIME WITH MY
FAMILY TONIGHT.
NEIL: OKAY, JUST THAT, THERE’S
NO PERSONAL FLIGHTS FOR THE
PRESIDENT IS VERY
CRITICAL OF YOU AND YOUR
STEWARDSHIP OF THIS ELECTION, NO
>> ABSOLUTELY NOT, AS SECRETARY
OF STATE, I REALLY HAVE
ABSTAINED FROM BEING INVOLVED IN
REPUBLICAN PARTY ACTIVITIES JUST
SO THAT THE OTHER SIDE COULD
NEVER SAY I WAS SO INVOLVED I
WAS TRYING TO PUSH IT ONE WAY
FOR OUR PARTY I’M A CONSERVATIVE
REPUBLICAN ALWAYS HAVE BEEN BUT
I THINK IT’S BEST ON ISSUES OF
ELECTION THAT EVERYONE SEES THAT
I JUST WALK DOWN THAT MIDDLE
LINE.
NEIL: LT. GOVERNOR I HAD IN LAST
WEEK, SIR, WAS SAYING MUCH OF
THE SAME THING HE’S GOING TO
SPEND IT WITH HIS KIDS I DON’T
KNOW WHAT THE GOVERNOR’S PLANS
ARE BUT AS YOU KNOW THE
PRESIDENT IS VERY CRITICAL
OF THE VOTE COUNTING GOING ON I
THINK YOU’RE ON YOUR THIRD VOTE
RIGHT NOW.
ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH THE
RESULTS OF THESE REPEATED
VOTES THAT THEY ARE KIND OF
MIRRORING WHAT THEY WERE IN THE
BEGINNING AND THE STORY?
>> AS A REPUBLICAN I’M
DISAPPOINTED IN THE RESULTS BUT
THE RESULTS HAVE SHOWN THAT THE
RESULTS REPORTED ON ELECTION
NIGHT WERE SUPPORTED BY THE
AUDIT.
WE DID A 100% HAND RECOUNT, RE
TALLY DURING THE AUDIT PROCESS
, WHICH VERIFIED THE
ACCURACY OF MACHINES AND THE
ACCURACY OF THE COUNT, AND
NOW WE’VE DONE A RECOUNT RUNNING
ALL THOSE BALLOTS THOSE PAPER
BALLOTS THROUGH AGAIN AND WE’VE
REALLY GOTTEN THE SAME RESULTS
VIRTUALLY THE SAME, AND SO THE
RESULTS ARE THE RESULTS.
I’M DISAPPOINTED AS A REPUBLICAN
BUT THOSE ARE THE RESULTS.
NEIL: SO, THIS HULLABALU OVER
SIGNATURES, SECRETARY, CHECKING
THEM AGAINST THE ORIGINAL
SIGNATURES, THAT’S WHAT I THINK
THE PRESIDENT WANTED YOU TO LOOK
INTO I THINK THE GOVERNOR WAS
SUGGESTING IT.
CAN YOU UPDATE ME ON THAT?
>> MANY PEOPLE HAVE SPREAD
MISINFORMATION.
WE ACTUALLY STRENGTHENED
SIGNATURES THIS YEAR AND WE
RECOGNIZE THERE’S BEEN A HUGE
INCREASE IN ABSENTEE BALLOTS SO
WHAT WE DID IS WE MADE SURE THAT
OUR ELECTION OFFICIALS IN THE
COUNTIES GOT GBI TRAINING ON
SIGNATURE MATCH, WHEN YOU MADE A
PAPER APPLICATION, WE SIGNATURE
MATCH THAT BALLOT OR THAT
APPLICATION WITH YOUR SIGNATURE,
WHEN THE BALLOT CAME IN, WE
SIGNATURE MATCHED IT AGAIN, SO
WE HAVE DOUBLE SIGNATURE MATCH,
BUT ALSO WE STOOD UP A NEW
ONLINE ABSENTEE BALLOT PORTAL
WHICH FOR THE FIRST TIME,
INTRODUCED PHOTO ID.
SEE , I INHERITED THIS 2005
ABSENTEE BALLOT LAW
THAT WAS SIGNED INTO LAW BY
GOVERNOR SUNNY PURDUE AND
SUPPORTED BY NOW THE PARTY CHAIR
, DAVID SAFER WHEN HE WAS
STATE SENATOR ALSO A FORMER
GOVERNOR FLOOR LEADER FOR
SENATOR PURDUE.
THAT’S A BILL THAT WE HAD AND NO
ONE HAD DONE ANYTHING.
WE STRENGTHENED IT WITH PHOTO ID
THIS YEAR AND OVER
400,000 VOTERS USED THAT.
NEIL: YOU KNOW, YOUR OFFICE HAS
CLAIMED, SIR, NOT YOU
SPECIFICALLY, BUT THAT THE
LANGUAGE THE PRESIDENT USED
HAS HEIGHTENED THE FEAR OF
VIOLENCE, DO YOU THINK THAT’S
TRUE?
>> WELL I DO KNOW THAT ACTUALLY
, WE HAD A SENATE
OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE MEETING
EARLIER THIS WEEK AND STATE
SENATOR HAS BEEN ALSO THREATENED
AND THAT’S IN THE NEWSPAPER AND
I’M REALLY GRATEFUL THAT THE LT.
GOVERNOR AND THE MAJORITY OF THE
SENATE HAVE CONDEMNED THAT.
THE SENATORS RECOGNIZE THAT
THAT’S JUST WAY OVER THE LINE
AND WHEN A STATE SENATOR IS
THREATENED ALSO, JUST FOR
HOLDING A HEARING, THAT’S
WAY OVER THE LINE.
IT’S NOT APPROPRIATE, WE HAVE TO
CONDEMN THAT WHENEVER WE SEE IT.
NEIL: THERE’S A TRUMP SURROGATE,
A LAWYER, WAS SPEAKING EARLIER
THIS WEEK, SECRETARY, AS YOU
KNOW, SAYING DON’T EVEN VOTE IN
THE SENATE PRIMARY, AND
REPUBLICANS PILED ON HIM FOR
SAYING THAT, BUT ARE YOU
WORRIED THAT THIS GETS TO BE
SUCH A DISTRACTION, AS A
REPUBLICAN, THAT IT IS GOING TO
HURT THEIR CHANCES IN THE RUNOFF
ELECTION ON JANUARY 5?
>> WHEN SOMEONE SAYS THAT I
HAVE TO QUESTION IF THEY ARE
EVEN REPUBLICAN IT’S TOTAL
FOOLISHNESS I’LL BE VOTING FOR
MY TWO REPUBLICAN SENATORS
AND I HOPE EVERYONE GETS OUT AND
VOTES FOR OUR REPUBLICAN SENATOR
S.
NEIL: EVEN THOUGH THESE TWO
REPUBLICAN SENATORS WANTED YOU
TO STEP DOWN YOU’LL STILL VOTE
FOR THEM?
>> I’M A CONSERVATIVE
REPUBLICAN AND I BELIEVE IN THE
REPUBLICAN IDEALS AND WHAT
WE STAND FOR YES I’LL BE VOTING
FOR MY TWO SENATORS.
NEIL: YOU KNOW, SECRETARY ITS
BEEN A VERY ARDUOUS FOUR-PLUS
WEEK SINCE THE ELECTION, YOU
ENCOUNTERED THE WRATH OF THE
PRESIDENT AND THESE TWO
SENATORIAL CANDIDATES JUST DOING
YOUR JOB TRYING TO DO IT THE
BEST WAY YOU CAN, MULTIPLE
COUNTS HAVE PROVEN THE SAME
RESULTS, SO ACCURACY DOES SEEM
TO BE ON YOUR SIDE HERE, BUT THE
POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT IS
SUCH THAT YOUR
PERSONA NONGRADA, DOES THAT
MAKE YOU THINK TWICE ABOUT YOUR
FUTURE OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
IN GEORGIA, HOW POLITICALLY
ACTIVE YOU’LL REMAIN AFTER THIS
, WHAT THE?
>> I’VE HAD A TREMENDOUS
OUTPOURING OF SUPPORT FROM
TRADITIONAL CONSERVATIVE
REPUBLICANS AND MANY OF THE
PEOPLE ONCE THEY REALLY TAKE
A LOOK AT THE NUMBERS, THE COLD
HARD FACTS, SENATOR DAVID PERDUE
GOT OVER 19,000 MORE VOTES IN
THE METROPOLITAN REGION THAT
PRESIDENT TRUMP DID.
SENATOR PERDUE WAS ABLE TO
MESSAGE TO A BROADER COALITION
OF VOTERS AND HE HAD GREAT
SUCCESS, AND DIDN’T GET HIM OVER
THE 50% SO I’M HOPEFUL WHERE
HE’LL BE ON THE RUNOFF ELECTION
SO THAT’S REALLY WHAT HAPPENED.
WHEN YOU’RE AN 80% TRUMP
DISTRICT YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND
BUT THERE ARE THE DIFFERENT
CONSTITUENCIES THROUGHOUT THE
STATE.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE A MESSAGE THAT
REACHES ALL VOTERS.
NEIL: SO, IF WHAT YOU’RE SAYING
IS ACCURATE THE PROBLEM WAS
DONALD TRUMP, IT WASN’T THESE
OTHER REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES WHO
ENDED UP DOING PRETTY WELL STATE
-WIDE.
>> SENATOR PERDUE RAN A GOOD
RACE AND I FEEL CONFIDENT HE’S
GOING TO WIN AND PREVAIL
SPEAKING AS A REPUBLICAN, NOT AS
SECRETARY OF STATE BUT
SPEAKING AS REPUBLICAN I FEEL
REALLY CONFIDENT IN HIS ABILITY
TO BRING IT ALL HOME ON THE
RUNOFF RACE.
NEIL: SECRETARY, CAN YOU UPDATE
ON A SEPARATE MATTER, THIS LOOK
INTO PROGRESSIVE GROUPS THAT ARE
ENCOURAGING FOLKS WHO ARE
OUTSIDE THE STATE TO VOTE IN THE
STATE, ESSENTIALLY TO MOVE
IN AND THEN DO WHATEVER THEY
WANT, MOVE OUT AFTERWARDS.
THAT IS TECHNICALLY ILLEGAL, BUT
WHERE DO YOU STAND ON THIS?
>> WELL IT’S NOT JUST, IT’S
ILLEGAL, NOT JUST TECHNICALLY,
IT IS ILLEGAL.
NEIL: THANK YOU FOR EXPLAINING
THAT.
WE HAVE FOUR GROUPS WE’RE
ALREADY INVESTIGATING IN FACT MY
SON PASSED NEARLY THREE YEARS
AGO AND WE GOT TWO ADDITIONAL
POSTCARDS FOR HIM TO REGISTER TO
VOTE IN THE LAST TIME I TALKED
ABOUT THE THREE GROUPS THAT’S
FIVE TIMES HE’S RECEIVED
POSTCARDS.
THERE’S AN ATTORNEY IN FLORIDA
THAT IS TALKING ABOUT MOVING TO
GEORGIA TO VOTE, WE’RE
INVESTIGATING THAT, AND THANKFUL
LY, I REQUESTED FROM THE
GOVERNOR YESTERDAY FOR
ADDITIONAL INVESTIGATIVE
SUPPORT FROM THE GBI GEORGIA
BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, SO WE
COULD HAVE ONGOING INVESTIGATION
S OF NOT JUST OUR
PAST PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION BUT
ALSO FUTURE, PERHAPS,
MALFEASANCE AND ILLEGALITIES
THAT THESE OUTSIDE GROUPS MIGHT
WANT TO DO FOR THE RUNOFF.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE GEORGIANS
ARE VOTING IN THIS GEORGIA
ELECTION.
NEIL: BUT WE’RE TOLD THAT
THERE’S A POSSIBILITY THAT
HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF
INDIVIDUALS HAVE ALREADY TAKEN
UP WITH THAT CAUSE TO BE IN THE
STATE TO VOTE IN THE STATE,
AND BE THERE FOR THE RUNOFF.
>> WE ARE GOING TO CHALLENGE
THE RESIDENCY OF ANY PEOPLE THAT
HAVE MOVED INTO THE STATE.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THESE ARE
PERMANENT RESIDENTS.
THEY MOVED HERE FOR A BUSINESS
TRANSFER.
NEIL: BUT HOW WOULD YOU KNOW,
SECRETARY, BECAUSE SOMEONE MIGHT
BE COMING IN --
>> BECAUSE THE LAW IS QUITE
CLEAR THEY HAVE TO HAVE A
PERMANENT INTENT TO STAY HERE
AND OUR INVESTIGATORS WILL BE
RESEARCHING EVERY SINGLE ISSUE
THAT IS BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION
AND WE’LL BE REALLY SCOURING
THROUGH THAT AND ALSO, LOCAL
OFFICIALS CAN CHALLENGE PEOPLE’S
RESIDENCY AND THAT’S ALREADY IN
LAW, SO I FULLY EXPECT THAT BOTH
POLITICAL PARTIES WILL BE
ENGAGING TO MAKE SURE THAT ONLY
GEORGIANS ARE VOTING IN THIS
ELECTION FOR GEORGIANS.
NEIL: SECRETARY, THANK YOU VERY
MUCH, I HAD READ ABOUT THIS
ISSUE WITH YOUR SON AND ALL
THESE BALLOTS THAT CAME BACK AND
PEOPLE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU
HAVE DEALT WITH, BUT YOU HELD UP
PRETTY WELL THROUGH ALL OF THIS
SECRETARY THANK YOU VERY