Fact Check: "Trump spent over $600,000 seeking evidence of voter fraud that didn't exist."
What We Know
Following the 2020 presidential election, former President Donald Trump's campaign commissioned multiple research firms to investigate claims of voter fraud. Notably, two firms were hired: Simpatico Software Systems and the Berkeley Research Group. Both firms conducted extensive analyses but ultimately found no evidence to support Trump's allegations of widespread voter fraud.
Ken Block, the founder of Simpatico Software Systems, stated that he investigated numerous voter fraud theories and concluded that "every fraud claim I was asked to investigate was false" (Washington Post). The Trump campaign paid Block's firm over $750,000 for this work, with payments labeled as "Recount" (Washington Post).
Similarly, the Berkeley Research Group was paid more than $600,000 to analyze election results in six states. Their findings contradicted many of Trump's fraud claims, including allegations about dead voters and rigged voting machines (CNN). The results were never publicly released, as they did not support the narrative the Trump campaign wanted to promote (Washington Post).
Analysis
The claim that Trump spent over $600,000 seeking evidence of non-existent voter fraud is substantiated by the financial records and findings from the research firms involved. Both Simpatico and Berkeley Research Group were tasked with validating Trump's claims, and both concluded that there was no substantial evidence of fraud. The payments made to these firms, totaling over $1.35 million, were specifically for research that ultimately disproved the allegations (Washington Post, CNN).
The credibility of the sources reporting on this matter is high, as they include reputable news organizations like The Washington Post and CNN, which have extensive experience in investigative journalism. The findings from the research firms were corroborated by multiple anonymous sources familiar with the investigations, indicating a consensus on the results (Washington Post, CNN).
Moreover, the context surrounding these investigations is critical. The Trump campaign's continued promotion of unfounded fraud claims, despite the lack of supporting evidence from their own commissioned studies, raises questions about the motivations behind these expenditures. The findings were reportedly not released to the public or used in court, suggesting that the campaign was aware of their lack of validity (Washington Post).
Conclusion
The claim that Trump spent over $600,000 seeking evidence of voter fraud that did not exist is True. Both commissioned firms found no substantial evidence to support the fraud claims, and the expenditures were made in pursuit of validating allegations that were ultimately proven false. The financial records and statements from the firms involved confirm that the funds were spent on research that did not yield the desired results for the Trump campaign.
Sources
- A second firm hired by Trump campaign found no evidence of election fraud
- Trump campaign paid researchers to prove 2020 fraud but ...
- Atlanta Prosecutors Contact Firms That Consulted With Trump Campaign
- Trump hired researchers to prove election fraud claims were real
- Washington Post: Trump campaign commissioned research that failed to ...
- Trump Campaign Reportedly Commissioned Study Showing No ...
