President Donald Trump and key allies undertook a furious campaign to try to get to Republican county election officials in Arizona as part of their election overturn effort – with the White House dialing New Year's Eve and Rudy Giuliani phoning repeatedly.
'POTUS will probably be calling you,' Arizona state GOP chair Kelli Ward texted one such official, Maricopa County supervisor Clint Hickman, who held sway on the county board overseeing elections in a state that had been called for Joe Biden back in November.
On New Year's Eve, the White House called with a message that mentioned Trump's desire to speak to the county official.
Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani is heard on voicemails calling Arizona county election officials and telling them Trump wants to talk to them
'Just a check in from the President of the United States ... So I guess that means you could/should take the call,' Ward pressed him.
Hickman said he didn't want to discuss litigation, amid a flurry of 'Kraken' lawsuits by Trump allies challenging results in states where Joe Biden won.
The pressure was contained in documents obtained by the Arizona Republic. The paper published audio of the 8:30 pm call, which Hickman didn't take.
Hickman told the paper he heard similar audio when Trump sought to pressure Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. 'I was horrified,' he said.
'Hello, sir. This is the White House operator I was calling to let you know that the president's available to take your call if you're free,' said a message an operator left on his voicemail. 'If you could please give us a call back, sir, that'd be great. You have a good evening.'
State GOP chair Kelli Ward told officials they should talk to Trump and his lawyers despite their own concerns about doing so amid litigation
Trump fought to overturn the election results, and claims the election was rife with fraud
UNDER PRESSURE: Clint Hickman, Chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, said he didn't want to take the calls
