Key players in the campaign
to undermine Georgia's election

Some Georgia officials aided Donald Trump’s campaign to overturn his reelection loss in the presidential race. Others resisted that campaign. Here’s a look at what some of those officials did and what they’ve been doing since the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Aided Trump's campaign

David Shafer, Georgia Republican Party chairman

His role: Shafer organized an alternate slate of Georgia presidential electors that voted for Donald Trump for president. Shafer’s electors were not legally valid, but Trump sought to have them counted as Georgia’s official presidential electors. Shafer authorized unsuccessful lawsuits challenging state election rules and results. He was a plaintiff in a key Trump lawsuit that sought to overturn Joe Biden’s victory in Georgia.

Since Jan. 6: Shafer was reelected chairman of the Georgia Republican Party in June by delegates with Trump’s public support.

State Sen. William Ligon

His role: Ligon chaired a Senate committee that allowed Donald Trump’s legal team to air false allegations of voting fraud. He repeated those allegations in a report that included no response from election officials accused of wrongdoing or from law enforcement agencies that investigated and found no evidence to support Trump’s claims. Ligon called for a special legislative session to hear allegations of voting fraud and appoint an alternate slate of presidential electors. He sided with Texas in a lawsuit that sought to invalidate Georgia’s presidential election results, and he was the plaintiff in another lawsuit that sought to do the same. He signed a letter urging then-Vice President Mike Pence to postpone certification of election results. On Jan. 6, Ligon was in Washington to aid Trump’s efforts to persuade Congress to reject Georgia’s presidential electors.

Since Jan. 6: Ligon did not seek reelection to the state Senate and left office in January. He has continued to question the validity of the election.

State Sen. Brandon Beach

His role: Beach called for a special legislative session to hear allegations of voting fraud and appoint an alternate slate of presidential electors. He sided with Texas in a lawsuit that sought to invalidate Georgia’s presidential election results, and he was the plaintiff in another lawsuit that sought to do the same. He signed a letter urging then-Vice President Mike Pence to postpone certification of election results.

Since Jan. 6: Beach was stripped of his job as chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee. He continues to question the validity of the presidential election. He has also suggested the General Assembly can invalidate Democrat Jon Ossoff’s victory over David Perdue in Georgia’s U.S. Senate race.

State Sen. Burt Jones

His role: Jones called for a special legislative session to hear allegations of voting fraud and appoint an alternate slate of presidential electors. He sided with Texas in a lawsuit that sought to invalidate Georgia’s presidential election results, and he signed a letter urging then-Vice President Mike Pence to postpone certification of election results. Jones planned to deliver the letter to Pence during a Jan. 5 dinner but changed his mind.

Since Jan. 6: Jones was stripped of his job as chairman of the Senate Insurance and Labor Committee. He is running for lieutenant governor next year, with Trump’s endorsement.

State Sen. Greg Dolezal

His role: Dolezal called for a special legislative session to hear allegations of voting fraud and appoint an alternate slate of presidential electors. He sided with Texas in a lawsuit that sought to invalidate Georgia’s presidential election results, and he signed a letter urging then-Vice President Mike Pence to postpone certification of election results.

U.S. Rep. Jody Hice

His role: Hice shared false allegations of voting fraud and sided with Texas in a lawsuit that sought to invalidate Georgia’s presidential election results. He also challenged Georgia’s presidential electors in Congress, even after the attack on the U.S. Capitol. U.S. Reps. Rick Allen, Buddy Carter, Andrew Clyde, Marjorie Taylor Greene and Barry Loudermilk also challenged election results on Jan. 6.

Since Jan. 6: Hice continues to claim the election was tarnished by “systemic voting irregularities and fraud.' He challenged Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and lost.

U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler

Her role: Loeffler called on Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to resign shortly after the November election. She sided with Texas in a lawsuit that sought to invalidate Georgia’s presidential election results. She sued Georgia officials to change election rules ahead of the Jan. 5 U.S. Senate runoff. She pledged to support a challenge to Georgia’s presidential electors in Congress, but she changed her mind after the attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Since Jan. 6: Loeffler lost her reelection bid and has founded a voter registration group to boost Republican turnout.

U.S. Sen. David Perdue

His role: Perdue called on Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to resign shortly after the November election. He sided with Texas in a lawsuit that sought to invalidate Georgia’s presidential election results. He sued Georgia officials to try to change election rules ahead of the Jan. 5 U.S. Senate runoff.

Since Jan. 6: Perdue lost his bid for reelection. He challenged Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who refused to aid Trump’s effort to overturn the election, and was soundly defeated.

Resisted Trump's campaign

Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger

His role: Raffensperger’s office investigated allegations of voting fraud, finding no evidence to support Donald Trump’s claim the election was stolen. He oversaw two recounts of the results, and certified Joe Biden as the winner. He pushed back on Trump’s fraud allegations. Raffensperger and his family endured death threats. And during a Jan. 2 phone call from the president, he fended off Trump’s request to “find' the 11,780 votes Trump needed to defeat Biden in Georgia.

Since Jan. 6: Raffensperger’s office has continued to investigate fraud allegations, but he maintains the number of cases is too small to have affected the outcome of the election. He is running for reelection after beating back a primary challenge from Hice.

Gov. Brian Kemp

His role: Kemp resisted calls to convene a special session of the General Assembly to address Trump’s concerns, saying it would only result in endless litigation. Instead, he encouraged Trump to pursue his claims in court. Kemp also said he did not have the authority to overturn the election. He endured attacks from Trump, and his family received death threats.

Since Jan. 6: Kemp continues to be the focus of Trump’s ire as he prepares to run for reelection next year. Despite Trump’s campaign to oust him, he easily defeated Perdue in the primary.

Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan

His role: With Gov. Brian Kemp and House Speaker David Ralston, Duncan rejected calls to convene a special session of the General Assembly to address fraud claims and pick an alternative slate of presidential electors. Duncan was a vocal defender of the integrity of Georgia’s election results.

Since Jan. 6: Duncan will not seek reelection next year. Instead, he plans to devote his time creating what he calls “GOP 2.0' - a version of the Republican Party with broad appeal to the electorate.

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