US Elections 2020

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger's office is investigating allegations that Pro-Trump attorney Lin Wood has allegedly voted illegally in the November general election. The investigation comes after a reporter with WSB-TV in Atlanta published an email from Wood in which he stated he had been living in South Carolina for several months.

"I have been a resident of the State of Georgia since 1955. I have changed my residency to South Carolina yesterday," Wood told CNN. "This is pure harassment by the Georgia Secretary of State."

According to a report from Reuters, the voting rights activist and politician Stacey Abrams has been nominated by a Norwegian lawmaker for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize. "Abrams' work follows in Dr Martin Luther King Jr.'s footsteps in the fight for equality before the law and for civil rights," said Lars Haltbrekken, a Socialist Party member of Norway's parliament.

Abrams, a Democratic Party politician who played a critical role in helping to register thousands of voters for the 2020 presidential election and Senate runoff election in Georgia, is being nominated for her work to “promote nonviolent change via the ballot box.”

Other nominees include the U.S. Black Lives Matter movement, as well as Daniel Ellsberg, who leaked the "Pentagon Papers" about the Vietnam War, U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Lee, and WikiLeaks, have also been nominated, as have pro-democracy and civil rights campaigners from Belarus to Poland and Hungary.

The lawyer of former US President Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani, is being sued by Dominion Voting Systems. The company claims that Giuliani has spread "demonstrably false" allegations about the company's voting machines. In the 107-page-lawsuit Dominion seeks $1.3 billion in damages.

The US President Donald Trump has announced via his Twitter account: "To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th." 

President-elect Joe Biden has announced his nominees for the Department of Justice on Thursday. He has nominated Merrick Garland – the jurist once nominated for the Supreme Court by President Barack Obama whose appointment the Republicans prevented by bending the Constitution – as his pick for attorney general.

Biden also nominated:

• Obama administration homeland security adviser Lisa Monaco as deputy attorney general
• Former Justice Department civil rights chief Vanita Gupta as associate attorney general
• Kristen Clarke as assistant attorney general for civil rights
• Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo as commerce secretary
• Boston Mayor Marty Walsh for Labor Secretary

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has published a statement, asking for "information related to violent activity at the U.S. Capitol Building" that happened on Wednesday while the US Senate was to certify the Electoral College results.

"The FBI is seeking information that will assist in identifying individuals who are actively instigating violence in Washington, DC. The FBI is accepting tips and digital media depicting rioting and violence in the U.S. Capitol Building and surrounding area in Washington, DC, on January 6, 2021," the statement reads. "If you have witnessed unlawful violent actions, we urge you to submit any information, photos, or videos that could be relevant at fbi.gov/USCapitol. [...] You may also call ‪1-800-CALL-FBI (1-‪800-225-5324) to verbally report tips and/or information related to this investigation."

After lawmakers in the Senate and the House affirmed President-elect Joe Biden's victory, President Trump released a statement promising "an orderly transition on January 20th," while still disagreeing with the outcome of the election.

"Even though I totally disagree with the outcome of the election, and the facts bear me out, nevertheless there will be an orderly transition on January 20th. I have always said we would continue our fight to ensure that only legal votes were counted. While this represents the end of the greatest first term in presidential history, it's only the beginning of our fight to Make America Great Again," so Trump.

After the US parliamentary seat was forcibly stormed, Congress officially confirmed the victory of Democrat Joe Biden in the presidential election.

Political leaders across the globe, have expressed their concern and shock as Pro-Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol and condemned the violence happening on the day the US Senate was to certify the Electoral College results.

"The right of people to exercise a vote, have their voice heard and then have that decision upheld peacefully should never be undone by a mob," so Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand and said she and her countrymen were "devastated" by the events.

Leader of the nationalist League party in Italy, Matteo Salvini, who has been a vocal supporter of Trump, said on Twitter that "violence is never the solution" and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India called for an "orderly and peaceful transfer of power."

During the violent protests of Pro-Trump supporters at the US Capitol, four people died, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. One woman was shot inside the Capitol by a Capitol Police officer and three died after suffering "medical emergencies".

Twitter has stated that three tweets of the United States President Donald Trump have been removed because they were in "severe" violation of Twitters "Civic Integrity policy".

This means that Trump needs to remove the tweets and his account will be locked for 12 hours following the removal of the tweets.

The Democratic Party of US President-elect Joe Biden has won control of the Senate - and of Congress overall - with two victories in the state of Georgia. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff defeated Republican incumbents Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue respectively.

"It is with humility that I thank the people of Georgia for electing me to serve you in the United States Senate," Ossoff said earlier Wednesday.

After breaching multiple layers of security, pro-Trump supports were able to gain access to the Capitol building. According to reports, protestors are now outside the Senate chamber.

Capitol security has asked people to lock all doors if able, seek shelter immediately, remain quiet, and wait for further direction. Matt Laslo, the managing editor of The News Station, reported on Twitter.

Senators were ushered to the Senate floor, and the chamber was locked, Mike Pence was seen being escorted out of chambers by Secret Service agents.

Brad Raffensperger, the Secretary of State in Georgia, has stated that it would be unlikely for his office to open an investigation into the weekend phone call he had with the US President Donald Trump.

According to him a criminal probe by the Atlanta-area district attorney could still be launched. In addition, he stated "the Fulton County District Attorney wants to look at it. Maybe that’s the appropriate venue for it to go".

According to an hourlong audio recording of a phone call, President Donald Trump demanded that Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger "find 11,780 votes" to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

"I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have, because we won the state," the President said in the recording that was obtained by the Washington Post.

When told by Raffensperger that he believed the state had " an accurate election", Trump replied by: "No, no, no, you don’t, you don’t have, you don’t have, not even close. You guys, you’re off by hundreds of thousands of votes."

"You know what they did and you’re not reporting it. You know, that’s a criminal — that’s a criminal offense. And you know, you can’t let that happen. That’s a big risk to you and to Ryan, your lawyer. That’s a big risk," Trump added.

At least 140 House Republicans plan to vote against the certification of President-elect Joe Biden, two Republican members of the House of Representatives told CNN, even though there is virtually no chance of overturning the 2020 presidential election. House Republicans would need the support of both one senator and a House member to mount an objection when Congress counts the votes.

Senator Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican, has stated he would object to the Electoral College results next week when Congress meets to officially certify President-elect Joe Biden's victory, forcing lawmakers in both the House and Senate to vote on whether to accept the results of the 2020 election. Even though Hawley's objection won't change the election's outcome, it can delay the affirmation of Biden's win.

Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro and Mexico's Andrés Manuel López Obrador have both recognized Joe Biden’s victory, six weeks after Biden was elected president in the United States. Both populist leaders faced heavy criticism for their hesitation.

"Greetings to President Joe Biden with my best wishes and the hope that the US continues to be the land of the free and the home of the brave. I will be ready to work with the new government," Bolsanaro, who has been a Trump admirer, tweeted Tuesday afternoon.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has congratulated President-elect Joe Biden on winning the election, making him the highest-ranking Republican to do so, weeks after Biden was declared winner.

"Many of us hoped that the presidential election would yield a different result, but our system of government has processes to determine who will be sworn in on Jan. 20. The Electoral College has spoken. So today, I want to congratulate President-elect Joe Biden," so McConnell in a speech on the Senate floor.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin has congratulated future U.S. President Joe Biden on his election victory after the decision of the Electoral College. Moscow is "ready for cooperation," a Kremlin statement said. "For my part, I am ready for cooperation and contacts with you," Putin wrote in a telegram to Biden, according to the Kremlin.