GOP AG offshoot group held ‘war games’ prep before Trump loss

The policy arm of the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA) reportedly held a two-day “war games” meeting in September 2020 to discuss strategies in the event that Trump was not reelected. 

The Rule of Law Defense Fund held an in-person event in Atlanta, Ga., amid a series of other weekly calls and virtual meetings to discuss overall strategy, according to emails made public this year, according to The Associated Press Friday. 

The documents were acquired by a transparency group that filed a records request. 

In a Sept. 24 email from RAGA’s then-Executive Director Adam Piper addressed to “Generals,” the “war games” meeting included 32 staff members who met “for a series of conversations planning for what could come if we lose the White House.”

In an email the following day, Piper wrote that the event “was a fast paced, productive series of war games, which hopefully will not have to be utilized in November.” 

According to the emails, the group held a Zoom “strategy session” eight days after the November 2020 election. They also discussed immigration policy in a Dec. 1 call, according to the AP. 

RAGA spokesperson Johnny Koremenos said in a Thursday statement to the AP that the September 2020 meeting was “strictly focused on administrative law and preparing attorneys general teams for a potential Biden Administration or a second term of President Trump — common practice in an election season.”

The Hill has reached out to RAGA for further comment. 

The release of the electronic communications comes after RAGA and the Defense Fund attracted widespread scrutiny and backlash after it was revealed that the policy wing sent out a robocall to supporters a day before the Jan. 6 riot urging them to attend the pro-Trump rally that preceded the violence at the Capitol building. 

The call, which was first reported by the investigative organization Documented, told Trump supporters, “At 1 p.m., we will march to the Capitol building and call on Congress to stop the steal.” 

“We are hoping patriots like you will join us to continue to fight to protect the integrity of our elections,” the message added. 

The incident prompted a wave of resignations in the organization, including Piper himself, who stepped down just days after the insurrection. 

Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr (R) stepped down as RAGA’s chairman in April, citing a “significant difference of opinion” with the strategic direction of the group. 

Carr said that the robocall went out without his knowledge or approval. 

The head of the Defense Fund, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, also stated that the robocalls were made without his knowledge, though the operative who did approve the calls, Peter Bisbee, was named RAGA’s new executive director earlier this year.