Mitt handler: Axelrod is lying Romney’s former personal aide hotly disputes account of 2012 concession call in Obama adviser’s memoir.

Garrett Jackson, Mitt Romney’s body man throughout the 2012 campaign, tells POLITICO that he believes David Axelrod “concocted” a phone call recounted in his memoir coming out Tuesday, “Believer: My Forty Years in Politics.”

Axelrod writes in a passage revealed by the N.Y. Daily News that Obama was “slightly irritated” by Romney’s concession call on election night.


When Obama hung up, he told Axelrod and others who were present that Romney had said: “You really did a great job of getting the vote out in places like Cleveland and Milwaukee.” Axelrod writes that the president added: “In other words, black people. That’s what he thinks this was all about."

Jackson, 28, said in a phone call from Houston, where he now works as a private-equity analyst: “When I read that, I was furious. … It didn’t happen. … I was right next to the Gov. Hell, it was my phone. I was the one who called [Obama aide] Marvin Nicholson. … Mitt goes: ‘Mr. President, I just wanted to call and congratulate you and your team on a well-fought race, and congratulate you on your victory.’ Then there was a silence on Mitt’s end — we weren’t on speaker.

“The president said a few quick words, and then Mitt said: ‘I know there’s a lot of tough decisions ahead, Mr. President — a lot of tough issues that face our country. And it’s my hope that you’ll tackle those issues, and know that I’m here to help in any way that I can.’ There was another pause, and Mitt responded: ‘Well, know that you and the first lady are in Ann and my prayers daily.’ And then the call ended.”

Jackson added: “[H]e didn’t do it in a malicious way — there was nothing about voter turnout. This was a national campaign. When I was giving the Gov. updates, they were macro, and state results. There was never talk of turnout in this city versus that city."

Jim Messina, Obama’s 2012 campaign manager, stood by Axelrod’s account in a tweet Thursday morning. “Every word of @davidaxelrod mitt e-night call is true. I was standing with axe & POTUS. That’s what happened,” he wrote.

Axelrod is expected to respond to Jackson’s account after “Believer” is published.

Jackson worked for Romney from 2009 through 2012.

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