Georgia Republican Party official Brian Pritchard has been convicted by a judge for the crime of illegally casting his vote nine times over a span of several years. Pritchard, who has been vocal in his false claims that Democrats had fraudulently stolen the 2020 election, now faces the consequences of his own illegal actions.
In her decision on Wednesday, Administrative Law Judge Lisa Boggs stated that Pritchard, who serves as the Georgia GOP’s first vice chairman, was found to be in violation of state election laws. This violation occurred when he voted while still on probation for forgery and other felonies. Judge Boggs further noted that Pritchard’s explanations regarding this matter were deemed neither credible nor convincing.
Pritchard has been ordered by the court to pay a $5,000 fine and $375.14 in investigative costs. Additionally, he will be publicly reprimanded by the State Election Board for his conduct, as requested by the board. The court has mandated these sanctions against Pritchard.
Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene demanded the immediate resignation or removal of Pritchard from his position within the Georgia GOP. She accused him of illegally casting his vote on nine occasions while still under probation for felony check forgery.
“The Republican Party prides itself on upholding election integrity,” Greene expressed on X, formerly known as Twitter, emphasizing the importance of the state party taking the lead in safeguarding our elections.”
Forged checks, and claims of a stolen election
Pritchard, a conservative talk show host, has echoed the claims made by former President Donald Trump, who lost in the Peach State and nationwide to Democrat Joe Biden, that the 2020 presidential election was fraudulent. This statement was made on his show, FetchYourNews.com. It is worth noting that Trump and 14 co-defendants are currently facing charges for illegally conspiring to overturn the election result in Georgia, while four co-defendants have already pleaded guilty.
In her 25-page ruling, Boggs discovered that Pritchard himself had engaged in voter fraud, despite numerous investigations consistently finding no evidence of mass fraud in 2020.
According to Boggs, certified records from an Allegheny County, Pennsylvania court revealed that Pritchard admitted guilt in 1996 for felony fraud and theft. The charges were related to $38,000 in forged checks associated with a construction project. As a result, he was required to pay restitution in the same amount. In Georgia, felons are unable to vote until they have completed their probation or parole.
According to court testimony from two high-ranking officials of the state attorney general’s office, it was revealed that Pritchard’s probation had been extended until 2011. Despite this, Pritchard went ahead and registered to vote in 2008 and participated in nine elections between 2008 and 2010.
During the evidentiary hearing in February, Pritchard maintained that he was not aware of committing fraud and genuinely believed that his status as a felon, which rendered him ineligible to vote, had ceased over twenty years ago. Additionally, he stated that he was under the impression that his criminal sentence had been converted into a civil judgment, as per Boggs’ decision.
During a previous hearing before the State Election Board, Pritchard’s case was referred to the Georgia attorney general’s office for investigation. According to his attorney, Pritchard had no knowledge that he was classified as a felon when he registered and voted in Georgia.
‘He should have known’
The judge determined that Pritchard’s explanations lacked credibility. The judge pointed out that if they were to believe that Pritchard had such a limited understanding of legal proceedings that he didn’t comprehend the fundamental terms of his probation in 1996, they would have to ignore Pritchard’s own description of his experience as a businessman handling complex projects, million-dollar contracts, and budgets.
In his ruling, Judge Boggs stated that after thoroughly examining the evidence, he found the explanations provided to be lacking in credibility and conviction. He further emphasized that even if the court were to accept the argument that the individual was unaware of his felony sentences, the available records clearly indicate that he should have been aware of them.
Pritchard has been fined a total of $4,500 for his illegal voting activities. This includes $500 for each of the nine times he voted unlawfully and an additional $500 for illegally registering to vote in 2008. It is worth noting that he does have the option to appeal this decision.
Pritchard and his lawyer, George Weaver Jr., were unavailable for immediate comment.
‘I’ve not done anything wrong here’
Pritchard remained steadfast in his stance on his voting record in December 2022 as he became eligible to run in a special election for the state House seat formerly occupied by Speaker David Ralston, who had passed away the previous month.
“I haven’t done anything wrong here,” Pritchard stated confidently, as reported by the Atlanta Journal Constitution. He emphasized that his sentence had ended a long time ago and his rights had been fully restored. With a hint of irony, he added, “I suppose if you’re looking for public enemy No. 1, well, here I am.”
According to the Atlanta newspaper, Pritchard made claims on his show that the 2020 presidential election was “stolen.” He also voiced his criticism towards Republican Gov. Brian Kemp and Republican Attorney General Chris Carr, accusing them of being “complicit” in Biden’s victory in Georgia.
During his show, Pritchard expressed his disbelief in the idea that 81 million people voted for “this guy.”
According to Jason Shepherd, a former vice chairman of the Georgia Republican Party, he finds the judge’s decision quite ironic, especially considering Pritchard’s consistent claims of election fraud.
According to him, Pritchard has quickly climbed the ladder within the Georgia Republican Party. He has also managed to amass a considerable following in his media empire, although it consists of just a few dozen followers. Pritchard’s rise to prominence can be attributed to his penchant for spreading conspiracy theories about stolen elections and widespread voter fraud, supposedly perpetrated by thousands of illegal voters. Ironically, it is worth noting that Pritchard himself has been under investigation for illegally casting his vote.
According to Shephard, the allegations of voter fraud against Pritchard have been widely known even before he assumed the position of the second highest officer in the Georgia Republican Party.
“He should never have been elected, and now he needs to go…and sooner rather than later,” Shephard expressed. “If Chairman Josh McKoon of the Georgia GOP doesn’t receive a resignation by the end of the day, I fail to see how anyone can take the Georgia Republican Party seriously.”
