Inside the Republican Elector Meeting Aimed at Derailing Biden’s Georgia Victory

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The setting was hardly conducive to confidentiality.

On December 14, 2020, a group of Republicans claiming to be authentic electors assembled to allocate Georgia’s 16 electoral votes to Donald Trump. They convened at the Georgia Capitol, in a room just above the main public entrance. An official from the Trump campaign instructed the attendees to exercise “utmost discretion,” directing them to disclose only that they were meeting with two state senators present at the gathering.

Robert Sinners, who sent an email later uncovered by investigators, stressed, “Maintaining strict confidentiality and discretion is crucial to achieving the desired outcome—a Trump victory in Georgia.”

However, the clandestine nature of the gathering was compromised. Journalists from The Big Big News and other media outlets observed the Republicans entering the premises and eventually gained entry to the room, capturing photographs and videos of the meeting. While the true significance of the event was not immediately understood, it has since become an essential part of the case against Trump and 18 others who were indicted by a Georgia grand jury for efforts to overturn Joe Biden’s narrow triumph in the state.

In recent court proceedings, the meeting featured prominently as part of a plea agreement struck with Kenneth Chesebro, an attorney who pleaded guilty to a single felony charge of conspiracy to file fraudulent documents. Chesebro is one among three individuals who have accepted guilt in the case. Sidney Powell, another attorney, pleaded guilty to six misdemeanor charges relating to interference with electoral duties, all part of a larger conspiracy that prosecutors assert violates Georgia’s anti-racketeering statute.

While Democrats convened in the state Senate chamber to cast votes for Biden, the Republican electors met around weathered wooden conference tables to discuss strategies to keep Trump in power. Prosecutors describe these individuals as “false” or “fraudulent” electors. Eight of them have since agreed to testify in exchange for immunity from state prosecution.

Presiding over the meeting was David Shafer, the then-chairman of the Georgia Republican Party. Despite the presence of a court reporter, lending an air of officiality, Shafer later denied the individual’s presence during questioning by Fulton County prosecutors. This denial led to additional charges against him.

Some inconsistencies became apparent during the meeting, including the late election of Shawn Still as secretary—a change made, according to Shafer, to avoid the need to reprint existing documents. Still, who later faced legal consequences for his involvement, is one of three individuals indicted for participating in the fraudulent vote.

As the meeting progressed, four new electors were chosen to replace those who had originally pledged their support to Trump but were no longer available. One of these was State Sen. Burt Jones, who later became lieutenant governor with Trump’s endorsement. The decision to replace these electors is also a focal point in the felony charges against both Shafer and Still, who prosecutors claim acted without the required consent from Governor Brian Kemp, who had previously certified Biden’s win after a recount.

Robert Sinners, the Trump campaign official, utilized a portable printer to generate new elector certificates. Each of the 16 Republicans was called forth to sign these certificates, declaring Trump and then-Vice President Mike Pence as the preferred choices of Georgia voters. It is this act, prosecutors say, that constitutes multiple felonies, including impersonating a public officer and forgery.

Legal defenses on behalf of these individuals point to historical precedents and argue their actions were merely to keep Trump’s legal options open. However, Fulton County prosecutors vehemently dispute any parallels, noting that Democrats had won a court-affirmed recount in the 1960 Hawaii case often cited as precedent.

Robert Sinners, who had initially helped organize the meeting, has now distanced himself from its purpose. Currently employed by Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, Sinners expressed his regret in an interview, describing the gathering as “a misguided attempt by the former president’s campaign to fabricate an alternative reality—namely, a win.”

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More about Republican electors Georgia meeting

• Georgia’s 2020 Electoral Process
• The Role of Electors in the U.S. Electoral College
• Legal Framework for Indicting Electors
• The 1960 Presidential Election and Hawaii Precedent
• Overview of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis
• Georgia Republican Party’s Stance on the Meeting
• Robert Sinners’ Cooperation with U.S. House Committee
• Indictments in Georgia Related to 2020 Election
• Election Law and Procedures in Georgia