Trump's call to Raffensperger should get him off the hook for crimes: former president's ex-lawyer

Donald Trump's infamous phone call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has been widely seen as damning evidence in his 2020 election criminal case – but the former president linked to a contrarian legal analysis that argued it was actually good for him.

The former president was recorded on the Jan. 2, 2021, call asking Raffensperger to "find" precisely the number of votes he needed to overcome his election loss. But on Thursday, Trump linked to a Daily Caller report in which Trump's ex-lawyer Alan Dershowitz claims that evidence would get him off the hook in Fulton County.

“The word ‘find’ has a dictionary meaning," Dershowitz said. "It means they’re there, they’re there to be found. Just please look hard and look for them. That’s what we did in Florida. We thought there were enough votes that could put [Al] Gore over the top.”

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However, Gore conceded on Dec. 13, 2000, the day after the U.S. Supreme Court issued its controversial Bush v. Gore decision and two days before the Electoral College certified George W. Bush's election win, while Trump's call to Raffensperger came nearly three weeks after the Electoral College declared Joe Biden the winner and after dozens of legal challenges fell short.

“There was possibly more that could be done, but in any event you don’t make it a crime if it is a matter of degree,” Dershowitz said. “You say to people don’t do it next time or you condemn people. You don’t vote for them. That is the ultimate check and balance. Don’t vote for them.”

“Vote for Al Gore if you thought he did it properly and don’t vote for Donald Trump if he didn’t do it properly, but criminalizing it endangers all Americans,” Dershowitz added.