On May 11th, the Republican Party of Georgia voted 146 to 24 to recall its first vice chairman, Brian K. Pritchard, for multiple instances of illegal voting, as stated by Josh McKoon, the GOP chairman in Georgia. McKoon emphasized the necessity of removing Pritchard as he refused to step down. “Today’s vote demonstrates our commitment to the integrity of the elections,” McKoon said in a statement.
The Georgia government found that Pritchard participated in elections from 2008 to 2011 while still serving his sentence for felony forgery and other serious charges. Georgia law stipulates that “any person convicted of a corrupt practice felony may not register, remain registered, or vote until the sentence is completed.”
In a ruling in March, a Georgia judge concluded that Pritchard had voted nine times between 2008 and 2011, which violated the law. Pritchard was convicted of felony forgery and was placed on probation. Probation was revoked three times, including when Pritchard moved to Georgia in 1999. In 2004, he was again sentenced to seven years probation. When Pritchard registered to vote in 2008, he wrote that he had “not been convicted of a corrupt practices felony without serving time.” He cast votes in nine elections, including the 2010 primaries and general elections.
Judge Boggs noted inconsistencies in Pritchard’s defense statements. Pritchard once claimed that no one had contacted him about repayment in three years, but at another time, he mentioned receiving a call from a debt collection agency during that period. The judge ordered Pritchard to pay a $5,000 fine and investigation costs, along with a public reprimand.
Pritchard steadfastly maintains his innocence. He testified that he did not realize he was on probation in 2008 and was unaware of any factors that would result in his registration or voting being illegal at that time. In 2011, Pritchard returned to Pennsylvania, where he was convicted, and admitted he may have violated the probation terms. After a complaint was lodged about his records in 2014, he requested removal from Georgia’s voting list. The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles restored his voting rights in a 2017 order.
Pritchard characterized the recall against him as politically motivated on social media. “My mission is clear: guide our party back on track and ensure Donald Trump regains his rightful place as our nation’s leader in 2024,” he wrote in April on social media. “But as I began posing tough questions and challenging the status quo, I found myself facing a series of internal resistance. You see, in the entrenched perspective of RINOs (meaning non-genuine Republicans), questioning their authority is considered heresy. They would rather maintain control over power than uphold the values we cherish.”
Some party members openly expressed support for the recall. “This is the right thing to do,” tweeted Debbie Dooley, a supporter of former President Trump. “The focus needs to be on getting Donald Trump elected, fighting for election integrity, and combating election fraud.”