Rep. Chris Stewart claims without offering any evidence that Democrats are cheating in two runoff elections in Georgia that will determine control of the U.S. Senate — and he is willing to put money where his mouth is to battle it.
He’s trying to rally rank-and-file Utah Republicans to donate to those races by offering to match any donations that small contributors make up to $10,000.
“These two Senate races in Georgia are critical to our future,” he said in videos posted on social media sites. “The Democrats are desperate to win these two seats. If they do, then they have absolute power. They will change our nation forever. We cannot let them do that.”
If Democrats win both of those Senate races, they would narrowly control the Senate. Democrats already control the House, and Democrat Joe Biden won the race for president. However, Stewart is among Republicans who have not yet publicly recognized Biden as the winner — although his video statement seems to come close to acknowledging it.
Stewart said Democrats are so desperate to win the Georgia races that “they’re cheating. That’s why they are encouraging people to move to Georgia. They are encouraging them on how to register and how to vote. They are pouring hundreds of millions into the race. We have to do the same thing.”
He offers no proof to back up his claims.
National news media have reported that political volunteers are flooding to Georgia to help the campaigns, leading to speculation that some may try to register to vote there. However, moving there just to vote and then leaving is a felony in Georgia.
Speculation about Democrats moving there to vote was fueled when New York Times columnist Tom Friedman went on CNN and seemingly encouraged people to do that, and when former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang tweeted that he and his wife were moving to Georgia to help organize the Democratic campaigns there.
Such moves prompted Gabriel Sterling, Georgia’s voting implementation manager, to issue a warning: “If you want to move to Georgia and be a part of the No. 1 state in America to do business, we are happy to have you. But if you are here for the sole sake of politics – don’t game our system.”
So, Stewart told Utah Republicans, “I need your help. In fact, America needs your help” as he encouraged them to donate to help Georgia Republican Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler against Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock in their Jan. 5 runoff election.
“That’s why I’m going to commit a match up to $10,000 for small-donor donations,” Stewart said. “Together, we can make a difference.”
His social media posts included a link to a donation site for the Georgia Battleground Fund, a joint fundraising committee between Perdue, Loeffler and the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
Stewart also said online that he plans a virtual fundraiser for the Georgia races where he said several other Republican lawmakers will appear, including Reps.-elect Burgess Owens and Blake Moore, Rep. John Curtis and Sen. Mike Lee.
“Our country is under attack and the Georgia Senate races are the last line of defense,” Stewart said in his online posts.
