Jan. 6 committee targets Trump circle over fake elector ploy
The US House select committee investigating the Capitol attack has subpoenaed Donald Trump’s top campaign and Republican officials involved in the plan to send false electors for the former president in states won by Joe Biden.
On Tuesday, subpoenas were sent to six individuals who were involved in an attempt to meet and submit fake electoral college certificates.
“We’re seeking records and testimony from former campaign officials and other individuals in various states who we believe have relevant information about the planning and implementation of those plans,” Congressman Bennie Thompson, the chairman of the select committee, said.
The subpoenas were issued to two senior Trump campaign officials - Michael Roman and Gary Michael Brown, who served as director and deputy director, respectively, for Trump's re-election campaign.
Both Roman and Brown were involved in a scheme to promote allegations of fraud in the election and encourage state legislators to appoint false “alternate” slates of electors, Thompson said.
In separate subpoena letters, Thompson said communications the panel had show the pair coordinated a pressure campaign calling on Republican members of state legislatures to send Trump slates.
The two also oversaw Trump campaign staffers involved in the attempts, he added..
Also, the panel issued subpoenas to four state Republican allies of Trump: Douglas Mastriano, a state senator in Pennsylvania; Laura Cox, a former member of the Michigan House of Representatives and chair of the state Republican party; Mark Finchem, an Arizona state senator; and Kelli Ward, a former Arizona state senator and chair of the state Republican party.
While Ward signed a fake election certificate, Cox was a witness to the Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani urging states to disregard Biden’s win in Michigan. Also, Mastriano was aware of the fake electors scheme, and Finchem communicated with organizers of the Save America rally on 6 January, according to Thompson.
Trump’s scheme to go back to office rested on two elements: the existence, or possible existence, of alternate slates, that then-vice president Mike Pence could use to declare that “dueling slates” meant he was not able to certify those states in favor of Biden.
However, the effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election at the joint session of Congress on 6 January fell apart when Pence refused to abuse his ceremonial role to certify the results. Also, it was obvious the “alternate slates” were not legitimate certificates.
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