NASHVILLE – Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said he has no idea why the Russian “autocratic regime” has included him on its list of 500 Americans barred from entering the country.
However, the Republican is not unhappy to be on the list of people that the Russian Ministry of Affairs issued in response to the “regularly anti-Russian sanction” imposed by “the administration of Joe Biden.”
“Although I was previously unaware of my anti-Russian activities, I accept the verdict of Russia, whose commitment to truth, justice and the rule of law speaks for itself,” Raffensperger stated cheerfully. “I can see where my commitment to free, fair and accurate elections, my tendency to speak truth to power and a firm stance against war crimes offered President Putin’s sensibilities. I accept that I am not his cup of tea Russian
“My inclusion on this list is well-deserved, and I appreciate them thinking of me,” added Raffensperger, who noted that he had no intention of going to Russia.
The personal non grata list includes prominent Democrats, including former President Barack Obama, three Republican U.S. senators and others. The Russian Foreign Ministry has said the crimes include spreading “Russophobia” and supplying Ukraine with weapons. The ministry also alleged that the people on the list are “directly involved in the persecution of dissidents in the wake of the so-called ‘Capitol storm,'” an allusion to the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol by United States as Trump supporters interrupted the official counting of the presidential election votes.
After the 2020 presidential election, Raffensperger came under pressure from then-President Donald Trump and his advisers to find more votes for Trump and overturn his narrow loss in Georgia.
A Fulton County grand jury was convened, and the panel and District Attorney General Fani Willis launched an investigation focused on whether Trump and others broke the law. Willis has suggested in a letter to a judge that action in the case will come in August, The Associated Press reported last week.
Raffensperger previously testified before the grand jury.
The National Intelligence Council in 2021 declassified parts of a report on Russian activity during the 2020 presidential election.
“We assess that President Putin and the Russian state authorized and conducted influence operations against the 2020 United States presidential election with the goal of discrediting President Biden and the Democratic Party, supporting former President Trump, undermine public trust in the election process and exacerbate sociopolitical divisions in the U.S. Unlike in 2016, we did not see persistent Russian cyber efforts to gain access to election infrastructure,” the report states.
Bill Haslam’s New Role: National Co-Chair of Tim Scott’s Presidential Effort
Former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam has agreed to serve as national co-chairman of South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim Scott’s 2024 presidential bid.
“One of the things I learned from being in elected office is that it really matters who we elect,” Haslam, who served as governor from 2011 to 2019, told Politico last week. “The more I talked to Tim, the more I was convinced he had a message that the country really needs to hear right now.”
Scott filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission on Friday declaring his intention to seek the GOP nomination in 2024.
Trump has already declared he is running, while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is reportedly preparing his formal announcement later this month.
In 2016, Haslam called on then-candidate Trump to step down after the broadcast of “Access Hollywood” showing Trump making lewd comments about women. He said he would not vote for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
Bill Lee’s political future
Re-elected in 2022 in a landslide, Republican Gov. Bill Lee was asked about his political future during a recent appearance before business leaders at a conference at Lipscomb University in Nashville, where a moderator noted that Lee had been mentioned as to possible presidential candidate.
“The national media, it’s not in Tennessee,” Lee said. “My political aspirations: My public service aspirations are to serve strongly for the next 3 1/2 years.”
“I feel honored to do what I do,” the governor said, noting that he has no interest in running for president or vice president. “My plan is to work as hard as I can to improve the lives of every Tennessean for the next 3 1/2, and then get back to the farm.”
Contact Andy Sher at asher@timesfreepress.com or 615-285-9480.
