The Georgia State Election Board decided on Wednesday to dismiss a lawsuit aimed at enforcing a subpoena directed toward a conservative organization that previously failed to provide evidence supporting its allegations of ballot stuffing in the state. This followed claims by the Texas-based True the Vote in 2021, which accused individuals of orchestrating a coordinated effort to collect and deposit ballots into drop boxes across Atlanta during both the November 2020 election and the January 2021 U.S. Senate runoff.
After reviewing the complaints, investigators from the Secretary of State’s office issued a subpoena in April 2022, demanding evidence from True the Vote to substantiate its allegations. However, in a communication from a lawyer representing the group in May 2023, it was stated that full disclosure would necessitate revealing identities of individuals promised confidentiality, prompting the group to retract its complaints.
William Duffey, who was then the chair of the State Election Board, contested the withdrawal of the complaints due to their grave nature and requested the attorney general’s office to enforce the subpoenas, leading to the board filing a lawsuit. In November 2023, a judge from Fulton County ordered the organization to present any evidence collected, including identifying informants. Subsequently, True the Vote failed to provide any names or documentary evidence, resulting in the administrative closure of the case in January 2024.
During the board meeting on Wednesday, member Janice Johnston proposed dropping the lawsuit, retracting the subpoena, and dismissing the complaint, citing the unlikelihood of identifying the alleged whistleblower and the slim chances of a successful investigation. The board concurred and voted in favor of Johnston’s suggestions.
Catherine Engelbrecht, president of True the Vote, expressed relief via email over the dismissal, criticizing the lawsuit as a needless legal conflict. She reaffirmed the organization’s dedication to its mission despite the outcome.
True the Vote’s accusations significantly influenced the narrative of “2000 Mules,” a controversial film by Dinesh D’Souza, which aimed to cast doubt on the 2020 presidential election results. Investigations by the State Election Board discovered that the surveillance footage used in the film only showed individuals legally submitting ballots for themselves and relatives who resided with them, in accordance with Georgia law. Dinesh D’Souza later apologized for misinformation related to the film, particularly concerning a Georgia man wrongfully accused of ballot stuffing, a sentiment also echoed by Salem Media Group, which produced the film.
