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Missouri’s Schmitt among GOP attorneys general with ‘no knowledge’ of robocalls

(The Center Square) — The Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA) is under fire for a series of robocalls that an affiliated political committee made nationwide before President Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6.

RAGA’s fundraising subsidiary, The Rule of Law Defense Fund (RLDF), made thousands of calls in the days preceding the mob attack, urging “patriots” to “continue to fight” and “stop the steal” by marching on the Capitol.

However, since the recorded RLDF robocall was published by the watchdog group Documented, RAMA leadership has denied it or the committee knew anything about the robocalls urging people to join ‘The March to Save America,’ and its executive director has resigned.

RAMA Executive Director Adam Piper said in a statement the association and the RLDF “had no involvement in the planning, sponsoring, or the organization” of the Capitol seizure. He has since resigned from RAMA.

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt is RAMA chairman. His office maintains he had “no knowledge” of the robocall.

“Attorney General Schmitt absolutely had no knowledge of or involvement in the robocall, and condemns the violence that took place on Wednesday in the strongest possible terms, period,” Schmitt spokesman Chris Nuelle said in a statement.

RAMA Chair Georgia AG Chris Carr and Executive Committee member Florida AG Ashley Moody are among Republican state attorney generals who have either disavowed knowledge of the robocall or not responded to queries about it.

Alabama AG Steve Marshall, who actually chairs RAMA’s RLDF committee, also denied any knowledge of the robocalls.

“I was unaware of unauthorized decisions made by RLDF staff with regard to this week’s rally,” Marshall said in a statement. “Despite currently transitioning into my role as the newly elected chairman of RLDF, it is unacceptable that I was neither consulted about nor informed of those decisions.”

Washington-based RAMA’s mission is electing Republicans to state Attorney General offices. There are currently 26 GOP state attorneys general nationwide.

RAMA has been closely engaged in assisting Trump’s legal challenges despite 60 of 61 being dismissed in courts across the country.

Republican state attorneys general filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court asking to reject some mailed ballots in Pennsylvania and supported former RAMA Chair and Texas AG Ken Paxton’s failed lawsuit alleging unconstitutional changes in four states’ voting laws.

The RLDF robocall recorded by the watchdog group Documented calls on Trump supporters to join ‘The March to Save America.’

“I’m calling for the Rule of Law Defense Fund with an important message,” the robocall stated. “The march to save America is tomorrow in Washington D.C. at the Ellipse in President’s Park between E St. and Constitution Avenue on the south side of the White House, with doors opening at 7:00 a.m. At 1:00 p.m., we will march to the Capitol building and call on congress to stop the steal. We are hoping patriots like you will join us to continue to fight to protect the integrity of our elections. For more information, visit MarchtoSaveAmerica.com. This call is paid for and authorized by the Rule of Law Defense Fund, 202-796-5838.”

RAGA afterward issued a statement claiming the “Republican Attorneys General Association and Rule of Law Defense Fund had no involvement in the planning, sponsoring, or the organization of Wednesday’s event.”

The Democratic Attorneys General Association (DAGA), however, has presented a deleted RAGA tweet in which it was cited among ‘March to Save America’ “coalition partners.” The tweet was later changed to remove RAGA and replace it with the RLDF as “participating in the ‘March to Save America.’”.

DAGA bashed its rival RAGA for “continued peddling of conspiracy theories and pandering to President Trump’s dangerous lies” and said partisanship by “some current and former Republican Attorneys General has gone unchecked for too long.”

Disclaimer: This content is distributed by The Center Square

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