Graham defends 2020 actions in Georgia, claims he called 'many people'

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) doubled down on his defense of his actions in Georgia following the 2020 election, claiming in an interview Tuesday that his call to the secretary of state was one of several calls he had to better understand the election process.

“I got on the phone with many people, not just Georgia, to find out what I should do. At the end of the day, I certified the election, but I had doubts about how it worked in Georgia. And if I can't pick up the phone and call people then the system doesn't work, and it's trying to intimidate people like me from asking questions,” Graham said In an interview on Fox News’s “Hannity.”

Graham explained that he made the highly publicized call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) in his capacity as the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee during the 2020 election. His goal, he said Tuesday, was to better understand the mail-in voting process in the state, to help make a better decision about whether to certify the election and whether the committee should hold a hearing on the allegations.

“I had to vote, as a United States senator, whether to certify the election. So what did I do? I called people all over the country including the Secretary of State of Georgia. I called him from my Senate office with my staff on the phone to ask questions about mail-in voting,” Graham said.

Graham said in the interview that he would make the same decisions if he were in the same position again. 

“I still don't understand the mail-in voting system used in 2020 in Georgia. But having said that, I voted to certify the election. I did my job. And if I have to do it over again, I will,” Graham said. 

Raffensperger alleged that Graham asked him about possibly throwing out votes that were legally cast — a claim the senator dismisses. 

Graham’s comments come after news surfaced that the Fulton County grand jury recommended that Graham be prosecuted for his actions after the 2020 election, but Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis decided against bringing charges. Nineteen people, including former President Trump, were charged for their involvement in efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election in Georgia.