Peter Ticktin, a Florida-based lawyer and long-time friend of US President Donald Trump, urged the Trump administration to take stronger action over the 2020 presidential election. Ticktin has encouraged the administration to pursue fresh investigations into alleged foreign interference and has supported wider federal action ahead of the upcoming US mid-term elections, CNN reported on Monday.
Ticktin, who says he and Trump became close friends while studying at the New York Military Academy, has represented several prominent figures linked to efforts to challenge the 2020 election results. His clients have included former Colorado county clerk Tina Peters, former Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne and several people convicted in connection with the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, reported CNN.
In an interview with CNN, Ticktin repeated his claim that evidence of foreign interference in the 2020 election would eventually emerge. “With the evidence that we’ve got, and with the evidence that would be forthcoming, there’ll be no question about it,” he told CNN.
However, CNN reported that no such evidence has been made public. A 2021 assessment by the US intelligence community concluded that while several countries attempted to influence public opinion during the election, there was no evidence that any foreign government altered voting systems, vote counting or election results.
Who is Ticktin? All about his legal career
Ticktin’s had accompanied former Colorado clerk Tina Peters to the White House following her release from prison. Peters had been convicted over her role in a breach of election equipment in Mesa County in 2021. Colorado Governor Jared Polis later commuted her sentence.
According to CNN, Ticktin has also encouraged Trump to consider an executive order that would declare a national emergency over alleged foreign election interference. The proposal reportedly includes measures such as tighter federal control over elections, restrictions on mail-in voting and limits on the use of electronic voting machines.
Election law experts and state election officials told CNN that such a move would almost certainly face constitutional challenges because the US Constitution gives states and Congress primary authority over elections, not the president.
Ticktin also claimed that criminal cases involving Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro could eventually produce evidence supporting his allegations. “He’s gonna talk. He’s gonna sing like a canary,” he said.
However, the US Department of Justice has not linked its criminal charges against Maduro to the 2020 election. The charges relate to alleged international drug trafficking, CNN reported.
Ticktin has practiced law for decades in Florida and has represented several high-profile clients. Over the years, he has appeared in cases involving celebrities, business executives and political figures. He also represented Trump in a civil lawsuit against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. That lawsuit was later dismissed, and a federal judge imposed sanctions on the legal team after finding several allegations lacked factual support. An appeals court later upheld those sanctions.
His legal career has also attracted controversy. Court records reviewed by CNN show that judges have criticised some of his courtroom conduct and legal filings in recent years. Ticktin has rejected those criticisms and defended his approach.
Besides election-related litigation, Ticktin has remained active in cases involving people charged in connection with the January 6 Capitol riot. He continues to pursue legal action on behalf of several clients who argue they were unfairly prosecuted.
Although Ticktin says he remains in contact with Trump and officials in the Justice Department, CNN cited a White House official who said the lawyer does not play a formal role in shaping the administration’s election policies. The official also said Ticktin may overstate the extent of his influence inside the White House.