Republican National Committee Under Trump’s Control Hires New Lawyers for Election Fraud Focus
The Republican National Committee (RNC), under the leadership of former President Donald Trump and his campaign team, is bringing on a team of new lawyers both internally and externally. These legal professionals are set to focus intensely on election fraud, an issue that Trump has continued to maintain a fixation on.
RNC’s Offensive Approach on Election Integrity
According to Chris LaCivita, Trump’s co-campaign manager and the newly instated RNC Chief of Staff, these lawyers will shift their strategy from a defensive to an offensive posture on election integrity. LaCivita announced that Charlie Spies, an experienced GOP lawyer, would be taking over as chief counsel at the RNC.
New Appointments to RNC: Charlie Spies and Christina Bobb
Trump attorney Christina Bobb, who previously worked as a correspondent for the Trump-aligned One America News Network (OAN), has been appointed as senior counsel for election integrity at the RNC. Bobb gained prominence for her active promotion of Trump’s claims that the 2020 election was stolen and authored a book titled “Stealing Your Vote: The Inside Story of the 2020 Election and What It Means for 2024.”
Bobb expressed her excitement about joining the RNC, stating, “I’m honored to join the RNC and thrilled that the new leadership is focused on election integrity. I look forward to working to secure our elections and restore confidence in the process.”
Bill McGinley Joins as Outside Counsel for Election Integrity
A source familiar with the situation has revealed that Bill McGinley, a former White House Cabinet secretary in Trump’s administration, will serve as outside counsel to the RNC for election integrity.
Michael Whatley Elected as RNC Chairman
These hiring moves come after Trump’s hand-picked candidate for chair of the committee, Michael Whatley, was elected to lead the RNC. Whatley’s interest in this role stems directly from his work and intense focus on claims of election fraud. Trump has persistently claimed that the 2020 election was stolen.
RNC’s Renewed Focus on Elections and Challenging Laws
The RNC has been undergoing staff cuts, with dozens of staffers being let go on Monday. One source close to Trump explained that the former president’s grievances with the previous RNC Chair, Ronna McDaniel, stemmed from her handling of the 2020 election. Trump believed that the RNC did not have the proper attorneys in place to challenge the election results, as he maintains that the election was stolen.
Christina Bobb’s Role in Trump Controversies
Bobb played significant roles in two separate controversies that led to Trump’s federal indictments, including the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case and the 2020 election subversion case. However, she has not been accused of any crimes.
Bobb’s Involvement in the Mar-a-Lago Classified Documents Case
In June 2022, while federal authorities were still trying to recover classified documents that remained at Mar-a-Lago, Bobb signed a sworn affidavit on Trump’s behalf, inaccurately telling the Justice Department that there weren’t any classified files left at the club. Special counsel Jack Smith later charged Trump with lying to the FBI and accused him of illegally causing Bobb to submit this false declaration.
Bobb’s Role in Trump Campaign’s Fake Electors Scheme
Additionally, Bobb played a key role in the Trump campaign’s fake electors scheme after he lost the 2020 election. She worked closely with Trump advisers to organize this plan in seven battleground states. This scheme formed the basis of parts of Smith’s election subversion indictment against Trump, which alleges that he and his allies created “fraudulent slates of presidential electors to obstruct the certification proceeding” in Congress on January 6, 2021, and “disenfranchised millions of voters.”
Trump’s Plea of Not Guilty in Both Cases
Trump has pleaded not guilty in both cases.
Bobb’s Promotion of False Claims at OAN
Bobb gained notoriety while working as a correspondent for the fringe pro-Trump network OAN, where she promoted false claims that the election was rigged. Voting technology company Dominion sued Bobb and OAN for defamation in 2021, and some of her on-air segments were also referenced in a separate defamation case against OAN filed by Smartmatic, another aggrieved voting company. OAN and Bobb have denied wrongdoing in these civil cases.
DNC’s Response to the Appointment of Christina Bobb
Alex Floyd, DNC rapid response director, issued a statement expressing concern over the appointment of Christina Bobb: “Bobb has made a name for herself with Trump by attempting to undermine the will of voters in the 2020 election – it has never been more clear that our democracy is on the ballot this November.”