Special Counsel calls for tapes that implicate Ted Cruz in attempts to delay Biden's certification

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) arrives for a vote on the Senate side of the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, April 18, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Special Counsel Jack Smith will bend an ear to recordings made by former Fox News producer, Abby Grossberg, on which Republican Sen. Ted Cruz can allegedly be heard forming plans to delay Biden's presidential certification.

In the ongoing investigation by the Justice Department surrounding Trump's push to claim the 2020 election for himself — crafting the narrative of "voter fraud" — these new tapes will be thrown into the mix, painting a clearer picture of the events that unfolded leading up to, and following, Trump's "big lie."

As reported by Salon earlier this week, Cruz can be heard speaking to Fox host Maria Bartiromo on these tapes and suggests forming a commission to look into "voter fraud," adding that he'd assembled 11 senators willing to join in on objecting to electoral certification, which would prompt a 10-day audit.

The issue of these tapes escalated since they were first made public knowledge weeks ago, and a plan is in motion for them to be handed over to the Justice Department.

"We're in the process of negotiating a targeted subpoena for Abby's electronic data, so they can have what they want," Grossberg's attorney, Gerry Filippatos said in a quote to CNN on Wednesday.

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In response to the tapes, Cruz downplayed them on Twitter, using a clown emoji for emphasis in saying, "MSNBC is breathlessly reporting that I 'secretly' said in a phone call…the EXACT same thing I said on national television the next morning! And then said again on the Senate floor four days later.

On Tuesday, MSNBC aired a bit from Grossberg's tapes, which can be heard below: