Trump’s draft order called for seizing voting machines after poll defeat: Report

A draft order by Donald Trump after his defeat in the 2020 US Presidential elections had directed the defense secretary to seize voting machines and find evidence of fraud, a report said on Friday. 

The document, released by the National Archives, was accessed by news media outlet Politico. It contained ‘extreme measures’ the former President may have taken to overturn the verdict from the votes and to extend his term as President, had he signed the papers.

“Effective immediately, the Secretary of Defense shall seize, collect, retain and analyze all machines, equipment, electronically stored information, and material records required for retention,” the draft, dated December 16, had read. But it was never issued. 

Lawyer Sidney Powell, former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn, former Trump administration lawyer Emily Newman, and former Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne had met with Trump in the Oval Office two days later. 

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According to reports, Powell had asked Trump in that meeting to seize voting machines and to appoint her as a special counsel to investigate the elections.

It is not yet clear who wrote the document. However, the contents in the executive order included conspiracy theories in election fraud in Georgia and Michigan. 

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The document would also have given 60 days to the defence secretary to submit an assessment of the 2020 election, which could also have been a ploy to extend Trump’s term as President. 

“This draft order represents not only an abuse of emergency powers, but a total misunderstanding of them. The order doesn’t even make the basic finding of an ‘unusual and extraordinary threat’ that would be necessary to trigger any action under [federal emergency powers law]. It’s the legal equivalent of a kid scrawling on the wall with crayons,” said Liza Goitein, co-director of the liberty and national security program at the nonprofit Brennan Center for Justice, to Politico.

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The document is believed to be among the over 700 records that were submitted to the House of Representatives select committee investigating the 2021 Capitol insurrection, after the Supreme Court rejected Trump’s appeal to block their release, reported AFP. 

Notably, the former President had tried shielding a four-page long draft last year, order citing ‘executive privilege’ on the topic of ‘election integrity, the National Archives said. 

It is among 750-plus records turned over to the House of Representatives select committee investigating the 2021 Capitol Riots after the Supreme Court rejected Trump’s appeal to block their release, reported AFP.

Rep. Elaine Luria, a member of the House committee, told CNN, “We got 700 pages today. I know that there’s been some reporting out there from various sources, so we’re still going through those documents, but, having seen the reporting myself, it’s incredibly concerning if this is in fact a verifiable document that was drafted by somebody in the President’s inner circle. We are looking at this very close, still determining if that reporting is accurate, but it is certainly very concerning.”

(With Politico inputs)