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MOTHER, GET THE FLY SWATTER – MORE ELECTION CONSPIRACY THEORISTS SWARM DC

By June 7, 2023No Comments

Grab your fly swatter because today House Republicans are holding a hearing on “election integrity” in Washington, DC and they’re doing it on Mike Pence’s big presidential election announcement day of all days. It’s one more example of House Republicans using their majority to validate election conspiracy theories and protect former president Trump.

To do this, one of the witnesses they’ve brought to testify today is almost as infamous as the fly that landed on Mike Pence’s head. It’s former top Trump DHS official and failed Virginia gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli. Cuccinelli has refused to say whether he believed the 2020 election was stolen. He claimed he was unfamiliar with Trump’s efforts to undermine faith in the 2020 election even though he was reportedly a “consistent presence” in Oval Office meetings where Trump officials discussed various plans to challenge the election results – Trump even reportedly pressured him to seize voting machines in key states.

Now, Cuccinelli runs an “election integrity” group. While leading that group, he’s spoken at a secret right-wing conference for secretaries of state that featured Big Lie conspiracy theorists, he’s given credence to false claims that mail-in voting increases the risk of fraud, he promoted a group run by a former Trump staffer that spreads conspiracy theories about election irregularities, he touted the Arizona attorney general who hid the results of his office’s investigation that found no evidence to support Big Lie claims, and he endorsed a secretary of state candidate who seemed to question the 2020 election results.

It’s just another way Rep. James Comer is using his committee to promote debunked conspiracy theories.

Republicans Picked A Meritless Witness To Speak On Issues Of Election Confidence – Ken Cuccinelli

KEN CUCCINELLI CLAIMED HE WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH TRUMP’S EFFORTS TO UNDERMINE FAITH IN THE 2020 ELECTION…

Ken Cuccinelli Claimed He Was Unfamiliar With Efforts By Former President Trump To Undermine Faith In The 2020 Election Despite Having Reportedly Pushed Back Against A Trump Official’s Election Conspiracy Theory. “While at DHS, Cuccinelli, was one of the faces of the Trump administration’s election-security efforts. And in that role he told investigators he saw no evidence that China or any other foreign actor was able to change any votes cast in the 2020 election, a conspiracy theory that was pushed by another Trump official, Jeffrey Clark, and the former president himself.  But in his December 2021 testimony, released Friday, he asserted that he was unfamiliar with efforts by Trump and others to undermine faith in the election. ‘Is it fair to say,’ an investigator asked, ‘that seeds of distrust were sown with respect to the 2020 election — after the November 2020 election?’ ‘I am not prepared to say that,’ Cuccinelli responded, though adding that ‘outcomes on a state-by-state and overall basis were being addressed aggressively from several different perspectives.’” [Business Insider, 12/30/22]

Ken Cuccinelli Reportedly Said He Was Unfamiliar With Former President Trump Saying The 2020 Election Was “Rigged.” “Cuccinelli, who previously served as the attorney general of Virginia and as a top Trump immigration official, also purported to be unfamiliar with anyone calling the election stolen.  Asked an investigator: ‘Are you aware of any elected officials saying that the election was rigged in the immediate aftermath of [the] November 2020 election?’ ‘I don’t remember the quote,’ Cuccinelli said.  ‘Do you remember the president making comments along those lines?’ the investigator continued.  Again, Cuccinelli could not recall. ‘I remember the president expressing in strong terms concerns along those lines, but you used a specific word, and I am not prepared to validate that word.’” [Business Insider, 12/30/22]

  • Trump Claimed The 2020 Election Was Or Would Be “Rigged” So Often That He Reportedly Wanted To Trademark The Term “Rigged Election” Less Than One Week After Losing To Joe Biden. “In fact, Trump not only claimed the election was ‘rigged’ after he lost but before any ballots were even cast. In May 2020, for example, he asserted that the presidential contest would be ‘the greatest Rigged Election in history.’ So often did Trump claim a ‘Rigged Election!’ that, according to an email from Trump aide Dan Scavino — provided to the January 6 panel by Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner — the former president wanted to trademark the term less than a week after losing to Joe Biden.  The January 6 investigator who interviewed Cuccinelli tried once more to jog his memory.  ‘You don’t recall the president using the word ‘rigged’?’ they asked.  ‘No,’ Cuccinelli said. ‘I don’t.’” [Business Insider, 12/30/22]

…EVEN THOUGH HE WAS REPORTEDLY A “CONSISTENT PRESENCE” IN OVAL OFFICE MEETINGS WHERE TRUMP OFFICIAL DISCUSSED WAYS TO CHALLENGE THE 2020 ELECTION RESULTS

CNN Reported That Ken Cuccinelli Was A “Consistent Presence” In Oval Office Meetings Where Trump Officials Discussed Various Plans To Challenge The 2020 Presidential Election Results. “CNN previously reported that the committee had reached out to Cuccinelli and Chad Wolf, two top officials from the Trump-era Department of Homeland Security, asking that they voluntarily speak with the panel. Cuccinelli was a consistent presence in Oval Office meetings where various plans to challenge presidential election results in key states were discussed, according to documents released by the Senate Judiciary Committee.” [CNN, 12/16/21]

The Day After The Electoral College Voted In Favor Of Joe Biden, Ken Cuccinelli Attended A Meeting At The White House During Which Trump Walked Through His Election Fraud Claims

12/15/20: Ken Cuccinelli Attended A Meeting At The White House Where Trump Walked Through A Series Of Election Fraud Claims. “On December 15, the day after Molly Michael sent the Antrim County materials to Rosen ‘From POTUS,’ Rosen and Donoghue were summoned to a meeting at the White House.46 Barr was not invited, even though he was still Attorney General and would remain so for more than another week.47 Other participants included White House Counsel Pat Cipollone, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, and the Department of Homeland Security’s Ken Cuccinelli, whom Barr had asked to review the ASOG report. 48 According to Rosen and Donoghue, Trump spent the meeting walking through a series of election fraud claims. The ASOG report was a topic of discussion; so were Trump’s assertions that ‘bad things’ had happened in Pennsylvania and Georgia, such as the claim that videotape showed election workers delivering suitcases of ballots in Georgia.49 Rosen recalled Trump asking why DOJ wasn’t ‘doing more to look at this’ and whether DOJ was ‘going to do its job.’50 Rosen added that Trump was not ‘belligerent’ or ‘angry’ when he asked whether DOJ was going to ‘do its job,’ and that Rosen and Donoghue responded by making clear that DOJ was in fact doing its job.” [U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Staff Report, 10/7/21]

  • The Day Before On 12/14/20, The Electoral College Had Met And Cast Their Votes In Favor Of Joe Biden. “The next day, President Trump held a meeting in the White House with Acting Attorney General Rosen, Acting Deputy Attorney Donoghue, Cipollone, Meadows, Acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Ken Cuccinelli, and Acting General Counsel of the Department of Homeland Security Chad Mizelle.92 Barr did not attend, even though he was not scheduled to leave DOJ until the following week. The timing of the meeting was notable, as the previous day the electoral college had met and cast their votes in favor of former Vice President Biden.” [U.S. House Select Committee on January 6th, Final Report, 12/22/22]

Former President Trump Repeatedly Invoked Ken Cuccinelli In His Efforts To Overturn The 2020 Election Results

December 2020: Former President Trump Floated The Idea Of Making Ken Cuccinelli A “Special Counsel” To Investigate Alleged Election Fraud. “At one point in late December, Trump floated the idea of installing Cuccinelli as a ‘special counsel’ to investigate election fraud, according to testimony provided to the Senate panel by former Department of Justice official Richard Donoghue.  Trump told a group of officials ‘something to the effect of, ‘I think Ken Cuccinelli would be a great special counsel,’ according to the Senate committee’s report.” [CNN, 12/16/21]

December 2020: Rudy Giuliani Called Ken Cuccinelli And Asked Him If The Department Of Homeland Security Could Seize Voting Machines In Certain States To Be Reexamined For Evidence Of Widespread Voter Fraud. “In December 2020, The New York Times first reported that Trump’s former attorney Rudy Giuliani called Cuccinelli, second in command at DHS at the time, and asked him whether the department could seize voting machines in certain states to be reexamined for evidence of widespread voter fraud. Cuccinelli told CNN in October that he did tell Giuliani the department had no legal authority to seize voting machines or interfere with state-run elections. Cuccinelli also said that ‘no one at any level pushed us to do anything outside of our existing mission sets.’” [CNN, 12/16/21]

12/31/20: Former President Trump Called Ken Cuccinelli To Pressure Him To Seize Voting Machines In Swing States And Falsely Told Cuccinelli That The Acting Attorney General Said It Was Cuccinelli’s Job To Seize Voting Machines. “On New Year’s Eve of 2020, Trump also called Cuccinelli to pressure him to seize voting machines in swing states and help him block the peaceful transfer of power. Trump falsely told him that the acting attorney general had just said that it was Cuccinelli’s job to seize voting machines ‘and you’re not doing your job.’  Cuccinelli was in Washington on the day of the attack and toured the Capitol that night to survey the damage. Wolf was on an official trip to the Middle East.” [Washington Post, 7/28/22]

KEN CUCCINELLI’S TEXTS, INCLUDING DURING THE LEADUP TO JANUARY 6TH, WERE LOST

Texts Messages For Top Homeland Security Official Ken Cuccinelli Were Missing For A Key Period Leading Up To January 6th Reportedly Because Of A “Reset” Of His Phone. “Text messages for President Donald Trump’s acting homeland security secretary Chad Wolf and acting deputy secretary Ken Cuccinelli are missing for a key period leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, according to four people briefed on the matter and internal emails.  This discovery of missing records for the senior-most Homeland Security officials, which has not been previously reported, increases the volume of potential evidence that has vanished regarding the time around the Capitol attack. […] The Department of Homeland Security notified the agency’s inspector general in late February that Wolf’s and Cuccinelli’s texts were lost in a ‘reset’ of their government phones when they left their jobs in January 2021 in preparation for the new Biden administration, according to an internal record obtained by the Project on Government Oversight and shared with The Washington Post.” [Washington Post, 7/28/22]

  • Washington Post Reported That Telephone And Text Communications Of Ken Cuccinelli Could Have Shed “Considerable Light” On Trump’s Actions And Plans In The Days Leading Up To January 6th. “The telephone and text communications of Wolf and Cuccinelli in the days leading up to Jan. 6 could have shed considerable light on Trump’s actions and plans. In the weeks before the attack on the Capitol, Trump had been pressuring both men to help him claim the 2020 election results were rigged and even to seize voting machines in key swing states to try to ‘re-run’ the election.” [Washington Post, 7/28/22]

Homeland Security Inspector General Joseph Cuffari Did Not Press DHS Leadership About Why They Did Not Preserve Text Messages From Top Officials, Did Not Seek Ways To Recover The Lost Data, And Did Not Notify Congress About The Potential Destruction Of Government Records. “The Office of Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari did not press the department leadership at that time to explain why they did not preserve these records, nor seek ways to recover the lost data, according to the four people briefed on the watchdog’s actions. Cuffari also failed to alert Congress to the potential destruction of government records. The revelation comes on the heels of the discovery that text messages of Secret Service agents — critical firsthand witnesses to the events leading up to Jan. 6 — were deleted more than a year ago and may never be recovered.” [Washington Post, 7/28/22]

Ken Cuccinelli Had Texted Trump White House Chief Of Staff Mark Meadows About Dominion Voting Machines

Ken Cuccinelli May Have Been Back Channeling Information To Mark Meadows As A Potential Effort To Promote False Dominion Claims. “Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Transcribed Interview of Chad Wolf, (Jan. 21, 2022), pp. 78-80. Even as the acting Secretary of DHS was providing Meadows information he received from his Director of CISA debunking the Dominion claims, the acting Assistant Secretary of DHS, Ken Cuccinelli, was providing back channel information to Meadows in a possible effort to promote the false Dominion claims. See Documents on file with the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol (National Archives Production), TEXT0000072, TEXT0000073, (Nov. 12, 2020 text messages from Ken Cuccinelli to Mark Meadows) (Cuccinelli: ‘I have the dominion list of everywhere the machines are deployed that we knowof. [I]t is pretty extensive. It is in my DHS email account. Where do you want me to send it?’ Meadows then provided Cuccinelli with his personal email address.)” [U.S. House Select Committee on January 6th, Final Report, 12/22/22]

  • House January 6th Select Committee Said Ken Cuccinelli Texted Mark Meadows That He Had The “Dominion List Of Everywhere Machines Are Deployed That We Know Of” And Asked Where To Send It. “Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Transcribed Interview of Chad Wolf, (Jan. 21, 2022), pp. 78-80. Even as the acting Secretary of DHS was providing Meadows information he received from his Director of CISA debunking the Dominion claims, the acting Assistant Secretary of DHS, Ken Cuccinelli, was providing back channel information to Meadows in a possible effort to promote the false Dominion claims. See Documents on file with the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol (National Archives Production), TEXT0000072, TEXT0000073, (Nov. 12, 2020 text messages from Ken Cuccinelli to Mark Meadows) (Cuccinelli: ‘I have the dominion list of everywhere the machines are deployed that we knowof. [I]t is pretty extensive. It is in my DHS email account. Where do you want me to send it?’ Meadows then provided Cuccinelli with his personal email address.)” [U.S. House Select Committee on January 6th, Final Report, 12/22/22]

KEN CUCCINELLI REFUSED TO SAY WHETHER HE BELIEVED THE BIG LIE

Ken Cuccinelli Refused To Stay Whether He Believed The 2020 Election Was Stolen From Former President Trump, But Said That Was “Perception Of Many” Conservatives. “Cuccinelli avoided saying whether the election was stolen from Trump, but he added that idea was the ‘perception of many’ conservatives.  When pressed on whether the former president’s claims were true, he responded, ‘I don’t have an answer for that. … We are not looking backwards. We’re looking forwards.’” [Washington Examiner, 2/23/21]

KEN CUCCINELLI NOW RUNS A CONSERVATIVE “ELECTION INTEGRITY” GROUP THAT PUSHES FOR STRICTER VOTING LAWS

Ken Cuccinelli Runs The Election Transparency Initiative, Which Is Funded By A Conservative Non-Profit And Anti-Abortion Group

HEADLINE: “Under The Radar, Right-Wing Push To Tighten Voting Laws Persists” [New York Times, 5/8/23]

The Anti-Abortion Susan B. Anthony List And Conservative American Principles Project Invested $5 Million In The Election Transparency Initiative, Which Was Aimed At “Restoring Confidence In Elections.” “Ken Cuccinelli, an alumnus of the Trump administration, along with two conservative groups, is starting a multimillion-dollar campaign aimed at restoring confidence in elections and eliminating proposed reforms by Democrats.  Cuccinelli, who served as deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security for former President Donald Trump and was the attorney general of Virginia, said he would be the chairman of the Election Transparency Initiative. Partners for the group will include the Susan B. Anthony List and the American Principles Project, reportedly with $5 million at their disposal.” [Washington Examiner, 2/23/21]

The Election Transparency Initiative Advocates For Stricter Voting Laws. “Cuccinelli now runs the Election Transparency Initiative, a joint project of the antiabortion group SBA Pro-Life America and socially conservative American Principles Project that advocates for stricter voting laws.” [Washington Post, 6/2/23]

While Leading The Election Transparency Initiative, Ken Cuccinelli Spoke At A Secret Right-Wing Conference For Secretaries Of State That Featured Big Lie Conspiracy Theorists

HEADLINE: “Dark Money Groups Push Election Denialism On US State Officials” [The Guardian, 4/5/23]

Ken Cuccinelli Spoke At A Two Day “Secretaries Of State” Conference Put On By Right-Wing Groups That Have Spread Election Denial Lies And Advocated For Restricting Voting Rights. “Three of the most prominent rightwing groups which spread election denial lies and advocate for restrictions on voting rights in the US have joined forces in a secret attempt to woo top election officials in Republican-controlled states. Led by the Washington-based conservative thinktank the Heritage Foundation, the groups have created an incubator of policies that would restrict access to the ballot box and amplify false claims that fraud is rampant in American elections. The unstated yet implicit goal is to dampen Democratic turnout and help Republican candidates to victory.  Details of the two-day ‘secretaries of state conference’ held in Washington in February were obtained by the watchdog group Documented and shared with the Guardian. […] Documented also obtained the conference agenda which lists a number of Trump associates among the speakers. They include Ken Cuccinelli who, as acting deputy secretary for homeland security, played a key role in setting elections policy for the Trump administration.  Cuccinelli now runs the Election Transparency Initiative which is fighting Democratic efforts in Congress to shore up voting rights, and has been active in pushing state-level vote restriction measures.” [The Guardian, 4/5/23]

  • The Guardian: “Attendees Discussed Controversial ‘Election Integrity’ Ideas Of The Sort Weaponized By Donald Trump.” “Officials from 13 Republican-controlled states, including 10 top election administrators, participated in the event. Attendees discussed controversial ‘election integrity’ ideas of the sort weaponized by Donald Trump.” [The Guardian, 4/5/23]
  • Ken Blackwell, Who Was An “Early Adopter Of Trump’s Lie About Rigged Elections,” Gave The Keynote Speech At The Conference. “The keynote speech was given by Ken Blackwell, former secretary of state in Ohio. He was an early adopter of Trump’s lie about rigged elections, championing the idea in the 2016 presidential race which Trump won. Blackwell now chairs the Center for Election Integrity at the America First Policy Institute, a rightwing thinktank led by former Trump officials. The center has been touting election-related model legislation.” [The Guardian, 4/5/23]
  • Officials From 13 Republican-Controlled States, Including Ten Election Administrators, Participated In The Secretaries Of State Conference. “Officials from 13 Republican-controlled states, including 10 top election administrators, participated in the event. Attendees discussed controversial ‘election integrity’ ideas of the sort weaponized by Donald Trump.” [The Guardian, 4/5/23]
  • One Of The Conference Organizers Said The Conference Was Meant To Be A “Private, Confidential Meeting Of The Secretaries.” “Heritage was careful to organize the conference amid tight secrecy. Among the records obtained by Documented is an email from Hans von Spakovsky, a lawyer at the foundation who leads their election work. Responding to a query about the event from a Texas official, Von Spakovsky said: ‘There is no livestream. This is not a public event. It is a private, confidential meeting of the secretaries. I would rather you not send out a press release about it.’ Von Spakovsky has long been at the forefront of efforts to undermine US elections by claiming falsely that fraud is endemic. He helped spearhead the attack on voting by mail during the pandemic, holding private briefings with Republican state election officials – a drive that became a core part of Trump’s efforts to overturn his defeat in the 2020 presidential election.” [The Guardian, 4/5/23]

KEN CUCCINELLI HAS GIVEN CREDENCE TO CONSPIRACY THEORIES ABOUT MAIL-IN VOTING BEING PRONE TO FRAUD

In April 2020, Ken Cuccinelli Directed DHS To Look Into Potential Voter Fraud Related To Mail-In Voting, Echoing Trump Conspiracy Theories

April 2020: Ken Cuccinelli Directed DHS Analysts To Look Into The Potential For Voter Fraud Related To Mail-In Voting At A Time With Former President Trump Was Claiming The Expansion Of Mail-In Voting Would Corrupt The 2020 Election. “In late April of 2020, a top political appointee in the Trump administration called for Department of Homeland Security officials to scrutinize an unusual topic for a national security agency: possible voter fraud in the upcoming election. A subsequent directive included a focus on mail-in voting, according to a document reviewed by POLITICO.  That guidance came as then-President Donald Trump fomented claims that the expansion of mail-in voting would corrupt the 2020 election — which later fed his unsubstantiated assertions that the election was stolen.  DHS’ intelligence office did not release any materials substantiating the president’s claims. But it did find that the Kremlin spread lies about mail-in voting. […] The DHS saga began in late April of 2020, when Ken Cuccinelli — the former Virginia attorney general with close ties to Trump who was then the department’s second-in-command — asked a senior DHS official to have I&A analysts look into the potential for voter fraud related to mail-in voting, according to a former DHS official.” [Politico, 3/18/22]

  • HEADLINE: “Minuscule Number Of Potentially Fraudulent Ballots In States With Universal Mail Voting Undercuts Trump Claims About Election Risks” [Washington Post, 6/8/20]
  • New York Times: “Numerous Studies Have Found Little Evidence That Mail-In Ballots Help One Party Over Another.” “Mail-in ballots will lead to a ‘rigged’ election. False. Numerous studies have found little evidence that mail-in ballots help one party over another. Of the 16 states where more than half of voters voted by mail in the last presidential election, Mr. Trump won nine. Several Republican states like Iowa, Missouri and Alabama have expanded mail-in ballots this year.” [New York Times, 1/5/21]
  • Brennan Center For Justice Said There Was “No Evidence” That Mail Balloting Increases Electoral Fraud And There Were Several Anti-Fraud Protections Built Into The Process. “According to the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University, there is no evidence that mail balloting increases electoral fraud as there are several anti-fraud protections built into the process designed to make it difficult to impersonate voters or steal ballots. These provisions include requiring people requesting absentee ballots to be registered voters, mailing ballots to the official address listed on voter registration rolls, requiring voter signatures on the external envelope, and having election authorities make sure the ballot came from the address of an actual voter. If a ballot appears questionable, some states use a signature matching technique to verify the signature of the voter.” [Brookings Institution, 6/22/20]

In October 2021, Ken Cuccinelli Suggested That Mail-In Voting Was Prone To Fraud

10/29/21: Ken Cuccinelli Suggested Mail-In Voting Was Prone To Fraud. “Democrats know where the fraud is: The result was the largest mail-in vote percentage in history, a method of voting that our very own Democrat N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein described in 2018 as ‘where the bulk of fraud occurs.’” [Twitter, Ken Cuccinelli, 10/29/21]

KEN CUCCINELLI PROMOTED A CONSERVATIVE GROUP THAT SPREAD TRUMP’S CONSPIRACY THEORIES ABOUT ELECTION IRREGULARITIES

HEADLINE: “Billionaire-Backed Group Enlists Trump-Supporting Citizens To Hunt For Voter Fraud Using Discredited Techniques” [ProPublica, 3/7/22]

Ken Cuccinelli Touted The Efforts Of VoteRef, Telling Conservatives In Milwaukee About How They Could Use The VoteRef Tools To Become Involved In Securing The Elections Process. “Political figures with ties to Trump have been touting the efforts of VoteRef.  Among them: former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, an immigration hard-liner appointed by Trump to serve as acting head of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Cuccinelli now heads the Election Transparency Initiative, a Virginia organization opposed to expanding early voting or easing registration requirements. The initiative, a project of the conservative group Susan B. Anthony List, says it partners with The Heritage Foundation’s political arm.  Cuccinelli spoke in September to about 100 party loyalists at a gathering at a suburban Milwaukee hotel about how they could use the VoteRef tools and become involved in securing the elections process.” [ProPublica, 3/7/22]

  • ProPublica: “The VoteRef Initiative Is An Important Indication Of How Some Influential And Well-Funded Republicans Across The Country Plan To Encourage Crowdsourcing Of Voter Rolls To Find What They Consider Errors And Anomalies, Then Dispute Voter Registrations Of Specific Individuals.” “Still, the VoteRef initiative is an important indication of how some influential and well-funded Republicans across the country plan to encourage crowdsourcing of voter rolls to find what they consider errors and anomalies, then dispute voter registrations of specific individuals. Visitors to the VoteRef site are able to scroll through data on more than 106 million people in a free, easy-to-use format. The VoteRef data includes personal identifying information of every voter and the years they voted, but not how they voted.” [ProPublica, 3/7/22]
  • Voter Reference Foundation Was Providing Easily Accessible Tools For People In Midwest Battleground States Meant To Try To Prove Conservative Claims About Election Irregularities. “Ever since Trump failed to convince the world that he lost the 2020 election because of fraud, like-minded people across the country have been taking up the same rallying cry, revisiting that vote with an eye toward what will happen in 2022. Now, a new group is stepping into a more conspicuous role in that world by providing easily accessible tools for people in Wisconsin, other Midwest battleground states and, eventually, the entire country to forge ahead with a quest to prove election irregularities. Calling its work unprecedented, the Voter Reference Foundation is analyzing state voter rolls in search of discrepancies between the number of ballots cast and the number of voters credited by the rolls as having participated in the Nov. 3, 2020 election.” [ProPublica, 3/7/22]

9/6/22: Ken Cuccinelli Tweeted An Article Promoting The Voter Reference Foundation. Ken Cuccinelli tweeted: “Unreliable Voter Rolls Poison Election Integrity, But One Group Might Have The Antidote https://thefederalist.com/2022/09/06/unreliable-voter-rolls-poison-election-integrity-but-one-group-might-have-the-antidote/ Hooray for more transparency! One of the most important ingredients for instilling confidence in election outcomes.” [Twitter, Ken Cuccinelli, 9/6/22]

Election Officials Accused Voter Reference Foundation Of Using A Flawed Methodology And Potentially Engaging In Illegal Actions

Voter Reference Foundation Was Founded By A Former Trump Campaign Official And Had “Dismissed Objections From Election Officials That Its Methodology Is Flawed And Its Actions May Be Illegal.” “The foundation, led by a former Trump campaign official and founded less than a year ago, has dismissed objections from election officials that its methodology is flawed and its actions may be illegal, ProPublica found. But with its inquiries and insinuations, VoteRef, as it is known, has added to the volume in the echo chamber.  Its instrument is the voter rolls, released line by line, for all to see.” [ProPublica, 3/7/22]

  • Voter Reference Foundation Was Analyzing State Voters To Search For What It Claimed Were Discrepancies Between The Number Of Ballots Cast And The Number Of Voters Credited By The Rolls As Participating In The November 2020 Election. “Ever since Trump failed to convince the world that he lost the 2020 election because of fraud, like-minded people across the country have been taking up the same rallying cry, revisiting that vote with an eye toward what will happen in 2022. Now, a new group is stepping into a more conspicuous role in that world by providing easily accessible tools for people in Wisconsin, other Midwest battleground states and, eventually, the entire country to forge ahead with a quest to prove election irregularities. Calling its work unprecedented, the Voter Reference Foundation is analyzing state voter rolls in search of discrepancies between the number of ballots cast and the number of voters credited by the rolls as having participated in the Nov. 3, 2020 election.” [ProPublica, 3/7/22]
  • Election Officials In Dozens Of States Where VoteRef Examined Voter Rolls Said The Methodology VoteRef Used Was Flawed, Their Data Incomplete, Or Their Math Was Wrong. “ProPublica contacted election officials in a dozen of the states where VoteRef has examined voter rolls, and in every case the officials said that the methodology used to identify the discrepancies was flawed, the data incomplete or the math wrong. The officials, a mix of Democrats and Republicans, were in Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin.” [ProPublica, 3/7/22]

Voter Reference Foundation Is An Initiative Of The Conservative Restoration Action, Which Spread 2020 Election Conspiracy Theories

VoteRef Is An Initiative Of The Conservative Group Restoration Action. “VoteRef, records show, is an initiative of the conservative nonprofit group Restoration Action and its related political action committee, both led by Doug Truax, an Illinois insurance broker and podcaster who ran unsuccessfully in the state’s GOP primary for the U.S. Senate in 2014.” [ProPublica, 3/7/22]

Restoration PAC Claimed There Was “Massive Evidence Of Irregularities” In Voting In Georgia And Arizona And Called For Further “Forensic Audits” Of 2020 Election Results. “Investigators in Arizona and Georgia have uncovered massive evidence of irregularities! These include: 74,243 Arizona mail-in ballots that were counted with no record of them ever being sent Fulton County, Georgia’s 60% error reporting rate, with 923 of 1,539 mail-in ballot batch files contained incorrectly reported votes. As we uncover more and more irregularities in Arizona and Georgia, it is crystal clear: more states must conduct forensic audits of their 2020 results!” [Restoration PAC, Accessed 9/7/21]

VoteRef’s Funders Were Closely Linked To A Super PAC Predominantly Funded By Billionaire Richard Uihlein, Who Gave $800,000 To A Group That Helped Organize The January 6th Rally That Led To An Insurrection. “A ProPublica review found that VoteRef’s origins and funders are closely linked to a super PAC predominantly funded by billionaire Richard Uihlein, founder of the mammoth Wisconsin-based packaging supply company Uline. A descendant of one of the founders of the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company, Uihlein is a major Trump supporter and a key player in Wisconsin and Illinois politics. Among his political donations: $800,000 in September 2020 to the Tea Party Patriots political action committee, a group that helped organize the Jan. 6 rally that led to the Capitol insurrection.” [ProPublica, 3/7/22]

KEN CUCCINELLI TOUTED ARIZONA ATTORNEY GENERAL WHO HID THE RESULTS OF HIS OFFICE’S INVESTIGATIONS THAT FOUND NO EVIDENCE FOR BIG LIE CLAIMS

Ken Cuccinelli Tweeted An Article Touting Arizona Attorney General Brnovich As “The Only Lawyer Successfully Fighting Election Fraud In The Courts.” Ken Cuccinelli tweeted: “AZ AG Brnovich is the Only Lawyer Successfully Fighting Election Fraud in the Courts https://townhall.com/columnists/rachelalexander/2022/07/25/az-ag-brnovich-is-the-only-lawyer-successfully-fighting-election-fraud-in-the-courts-n2610738?2610   He’s not alone, but he’s doing more than any other AG (& that’s not a slight to the other AGs)  @GeneralBrnovich ‘s work shows that after-the-fact enforcement is hard.” [Twitter, Ken Cuccinelli, 7/26/22]

  • Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich Reportedly Kept Private A Report Put Together By His Investigators That Said Virtually All Claims Of Election Error Or Malfeasance Were Unfounded, Instead Releasing An “Interim Report” That Claimed His Office Found “Serious Vulnerabilities.” “Nearly a year after the 2020 election, Arizona’s then-attorney general, Mark Brnovich, launched an investigation into voting in the state’s largest county that quickly consumed more than 10,000 hours of his staff’s time. Investigators prepared a report in March 2022 stating that virtually all claims of error and malfeasance were unfounded, according to internal documents reviewed by The Washington Post. Brnovich, a Republican, kept it private.  In April, the attorney general — who was running in the GOP primary for a U.S. Senate seat — released an ‘Interim Report’ claiming that his office had discovered ‘serious vulnerabilities.’ He left out edits from his own investigators refuting his assertions.” [Washington Post, 2/22/23]
  • Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich Did Not Release A Report His Office Compiled In September 2022 That Refuted Accusations Of Widespread Fraud And Made Clear People And Groups Who Made Those Claims Had Presented No Evidence To Support Their Claims. “His office then compiled an ‘Election Review Summary’ in September that systematically refuted accusations of widespread fraud and made clear that none of the complaining parties — from state lawmakers to self-styled ‘election integrity’ groups — had presented any evidence to support their claims. Brnovich left office last month without releasing the summary.” [Washington Post, 2/22/23]

KEN CUCCINELLI ENDORSED A KANSAS SECRETARY OF STATE CANDIDATE WHO SUGGESTED HE BELIEVED THE BIG LIE

Ken Cuccinelli Endorsed Kansas Secretary Of State Candidate Mike Brown Who Said The 2020 Election Had Him Question The “Integrity And Accuracy Of Our Election Process.” “In Kansas, Mike Brown — a candidate in the GOP primary for secretary of state — has criticized Republican incumbent Scott Schwab, alleging irregularities in the 2020 vote. ‘The 2020 election still has me questioning the integrity and accuracy of our election process,’ a Brown campaign video says. ‘Questions that have yet to be answered.’ Monday, Ken Cuccinelli, head of the so-called Election Transparency Initiative, endorsed Brown’s candidacy. He called the former Johnson County commissioner a ‘champion of election integrity.’ It is, of course, ridiculous. No one has yet provided any evidence of widespread miscounted or miscast votes in Kansas two years ago. To claim otherwise defies facts, and logic: Why would Democrats rig the presidential vote in Kansas, which went for Donald Trump by 15 points?” [Kansas City Star, Editorial, 7/20/22]

House Republicans Are Using Their Committees And Authority To Validate Election Conspiracy Theories And Protect Insurrectionists

HOUSE REPUBLICANS ARE USING THEIR NEW POWER TO DO EXACTLY WHAT THEY ACCUSE GOVERNMENT AGENCIES OF DOING, WEAPONIZING THE GOVERNMENT FOR POLITICAL ENDS

CNN: “The Use Of Government Power To Advance Political Ends Appears To Mirror Exactly The Behavior Republicans, In Their New Subcommittee On The Weaponization Of The Federal Government, Are Accusing The FBI, The Justice Department And Other Government Agencies Of.” “Donald Trump’s Republican allies in the House are doing what the former president taught them to do – use government power to try to keep his legal threats at bay. After Trump warned he could be arrested, his allies have been using their new House majority to demand Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s testimony and seek to thwart his investigation relating to an alleged hush money payment to an adult film star before the 2016 election. It looks like an extraordinary attempt to influence an open grand jury investigation. […] But the use of government power to advance political ends appears to mirror exactly the behavior Republicans, in their new subcommittee on the weaponization of the federal government, are accusing the FBI, the Justice Department and other government agencies of.” [CNN, 3/21/23]

HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP “OPENLY QUESTIONS” WHAT HAPPENED ON JANUARY 6TH AND ARE WORKING TO DISTORT THE FACTS

Associated Press Reported House Republican Actions Can Be Seen As “Working Steadily But Intently To Distort The Facts Of The Deadly Riot, Which Played Out For The World To See When Donald Trump’s Supporters Laid Siege To The Capitol, And In The Process Downplay The Risk Of Domestic Extremism In The U.S.” “Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene swept into the District of Columbia jail to check on conditions for the Jan. 6 defendants, with Republican lawmakers handshaking and high-fiving the prisoners, who chanted ‘Let’s Go Brandon!’ — a coded vulgarity against President Joe Biden — as the group left. A day earlier Speaker Kevin McCarthy met with the mother of slain rioter Ashli Babbitt, an Air Force veteran who was shot and killed by police as she tried to climb through a broken window during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. And the House Republican leader recently gave Fox News’ Tucker Carlson exclusive access to a trove of Jan. 6 surveillance tapes despite the conservative commentator’s airing of conspiracy theories about the Capitol attack. Taken together, the House Republicans can be seen as working steadily but intently to distort the facts of the deadly riot, which played out for the world to see when Donald Trump’s supporters laid siege to the Capitol, and in the process downplay the risk of domestic extremism in the U.S.” [Associated Press, 3/25/23]

Associated Press: “In Actions And Legislation, The Republicans Are Seeking To Portray Perpetrators Of The Capitol Riot As Victims Of Zealous Federal Prosecutors, Despite Many Being Convicted Of Serious Crimes.” “Taken together, the House Republicans can be seen as working steadily but intently to distort the facts of the deadly riot, which played out for the world to see when Donald Trump’s supporters laid siege to the Capitol, and in the process downplay the risk of domestic extremism in the U.S. In actions and legislation, the Republicans are seeking to portray perpetrators of the Capitol riot as victims of zealous federal prosecutors, despite many being convicted of serious crimes. As Trump calls for the Jan. 6 defendants to be pardoned, some House Republicans are attempting to rebrand those who stormed the Capitol as ‘political prisoners.’” [Associated Press, 3/25/23]

Associated Press: “In The House Under Republican Control This Year, The New Leadership Openly Questions What Happened On Jan. 6 As Well As How The Federal Government Is Investigating And Prosecuting Extremists.” “In the House under Republican control this year, the new leadership openly questions what happened on Jan. 6 as well as how the federal government is investigating and prosecuting extremists. Outside groups are raising money and rallying to the aid of Jan. 6 defendants.” [Associated Press, 3/25/23]

MULTIPLE SOURCES HAVE CONFIRMED TRUMP AND REP. JIM JORDAN SPEAK REGULARLY

March 2023: Multiple Sources Confirmed With CNN That President Trump And Jim Jordan Spoke Regularly – A Jordan Spokesperson Didn’t Deny The Allegations And Referred To It As “Regular Order.” “Multiple sources tell CNN that Trump and House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan speak regularly but declined to divulge whether those conversations included Jordan’s investigative efforts.  ‘Conversations among concerned parties about issues facing the country are not news and regular order in Congress,’ Jordan’s spokesperson Russell Dye said in a statement to CNN.” [CNN, 3/29/23]

Jordan Has Already Said Republicans Would Use Investigative Oversight To Frame The 2024 Election And “Make Sure [Trump] Wins

August 2022: While Referencing How Republicans Would Use Investigative Oversight, Jim Jordan Said, “That Will Help Frame Up The 2024 Race, When I Hope And I Think President Trump Is Going To Run Again. And We Need To Make Sure That He Wins.”  “But other Republicans are more open in depicting their broader oversight as a way to tee up a 2024 election where they hope to win back the White House ‘That will help frame up the 2024 race, when I hope and I think President Trump is going to run again. And we need to make sure that he wins,’ Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who’s set to chair the Judiciary Committee under a 2023 GOP majority, said at a CPAC conference in Texas late last week.” [Politico, 8/10/22]

OTHER MEMBERS OF THE WEAPONIZATION SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTEDLY COORDINATE WITH OUTSIDE GROUPS AND TRUMP DIRECTLY TO INFORM HIM ON THE COMMITTEE’S WORK

March 2023: House GOP Conference Chair, Elise Stefanik Reportedly Talked To President Trump Roughly Once A Week Or More, Briefing Him On The House Committees’ Work. “House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, the third-ranking House Republican, has become a key point person for Trump on Hill investigations. The New York Republican talks to Trump roughly once a week, and often more, frequently briefing him on the House committees’ work, three sources familiar with their conversations tell CNN. Trump often calls her as well, the sources said.” [CNN, 3/29/23]

  • Stefanik And Trump Reportedly Spoke To Discuss The GOP’s Plan To Respond To Manhattan District Attorney Bragg. “Stefanik and Trump spoke several times last week alone, where she walked him through the GOP’s plans for an aggressive response to Bragg.” [CNN, 3/29/23]

CNN Reported Representatives On Key Investigative Committees Kept In Regular Contact With Trump-Aligned Outside Groups About Their Investigations. “Members on key investigative committees also keep in regular contact with Trump-aligned grassroots groups about investigations. Some of those groups have grown frustrated in recent weeks with how the House panels are conducting their work, including the time it took to hire individuals and get the investigative work started, multiple sources familiar with the matter said. GOP Rep. Dan Bishop, who serves on the weaponization subpanel, told CNN, ‘We’ve heard from outside groups a fair amount about ideas and recommendations.’” [CNN, 3/29/23]

  • Weaponization Subcommittee Member, Rep. Dan Bishop, Told CNN That Outside Groups Have Provided Committees With “A Fair Amount” Of Ideas And Recommendations. “Members on key investigative committees also keep in regular contact with Trump-aligned grassroots groups about investigations. Some of those groups have grown frustrated in recent weeks with how the House panels are conducting their work, including the time it took to hire individuals and get the investigative work started, multiple sources familiar with the matter said. GOP Rep. Dan Bishop, who serves on the weaponization subpanel, told CNN, ‘We’ve heard from outside groups a fair amount about ideas and recommendations.’” [CNN, 3/29/23]

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Who Is On The House Oversight Committee Said She Spoke To Former President Trump Frequently And Kept Him Updated On Congressional Activity. “GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who serves on the House Oversight Committee, which is conducting a number of investigations into President Joe Biden, also speaks to Trump on a frequent basis. Both she and Stefanik have endorsed Trump’s 2024 presidential bid and are said to be interested in serving as his running mate.  ‘I keep him up on everything that we’re doing,’ Greene told CNN. ‘He seems very plugged in at all times. Sometimes I’m shocked at how he knows all these things. I’m like, ‘How do you know all this stuff?’” [CNN, 3/29/23]

REP. JIM JORDAN USED HIS POSITION OF LEADERSHIP TO GIVE JANUARY 6TH CONSPIRACY THEORISTS A PLATFORM

HEADLINE: “G.O.P. Witnesses, Paid By Trump Ally, Embraced Jan. 6 Conspiracy Theories” [New York Times, 3/2/23]

GOP Witness Was Suspended From The FBI Because He Refused To Participate In Cases Connected To January 6th – He Said He Did Not Think The Suspects Were Guilty Of Committing Crimes

One Of The FBI Whistleblowers Rep. Jim Jordan Relied On Was Suspended From The FBI Because He Refused To Participate In Cases Connected To January 6th Because He Did Not Think The Suspects Were Guilty. “A key part of the political nature of the Justice Department, as Republicans see it, is reflected by the supposed mistreatment of Jan. 6 rioters. One of Jordan’s FBI whistleblowers is a special agent in Florida who was suspended after he refused to participate in any cases connected with the attack on the Capitol partly because he doesn’t think the rioters are guilty. Jordan said the agent disclosed ‘that the Washington field office is deliberately manipulating Jan. 6 case files to make it appear that domestic violence extremism is on the rise,’ and that the agent had been suspended. But according to the FBI whistleblower’s statement to Congress — which Johnson published on his Senate website last year — the suspension occurred after he repeatedly refused to participate in arrests connected to Jan. 6 because he didn’t think the suspects were guilty.” [Huffington Post, 2/9/23]

Steve Friend Refused To Participate In A SWAT Raid Of A January 6th Suspect – Notably The Suspect Was A Member Of The Three-Percenter Movement. “Mr. Friend has said he refused to take part in a S.W.A.T. raid of a Jan. 6 suspect facing misdemeanor charges, which at the time he called an ‘excessive use of force,’ to which he was a ‘conscientious objector.’ The suspect, Tyler Bensch, was accused of being a member of a right-wing militia group connected to the Three Percenter movement. Documents in Mr. Bensch’s case indicate that on Jan. 6, 2021, he posted a video of himself outside the Capitol wearing body armor and a gas mask and carrying an AR-15-style rifle.” [New York Times, 3/2/23]

GOP Witness Emailed Conspiracy Theories About January 6th And Failed To Provide Relevant Information To Fellow Agents Investigating January 6th About Suspects When Asked To Conduct Open Source Research

The FBI Suspended Marcus Allen’s Top Secret Security Clearance After It Found He “Expressed Sympathy For Persons Or Organizations That Advocate, Threaten Or Use Force Or Violence.” “Mr. Allen’s top-secret security clearance was revoked after the bureau found that he had ‘expressed sympathy for persons or organizations that advocate, threaten or use force or violence,’ the letter said.” [New York Times, 5/17/23]

  • Months After January 6th, The FBI Said Marcus Allen Sent An Email From His Bureau Account To Colleagues Urging Them To “Exercise Extreme Caution And Discretion In Pursuit Of Any Investigative Inquiries Or Leads Pertaining To The Events Of” January 6th. “F.B.I. investigators determined that Mr. Allen had sent an email from his bureau account to several colleagues months after the Capitol attack, urging them to ‘exercise extreme caution and discretion in pursuit of any investigative inquiries or leads pertaining to the events of’ Jan. 6, the letter said.” [New York Times, 5/17/23]

Marcus Allen Sent An Email Linking To A Website That Spread The Conspiracy Theory That Federal Agents Infiltrated Crowds Gathered At The Capitol On January 6th – Allen Commented It Raised “Serious Concerns” About The U.S. Government’s Participation In The Riot. “Mr. Allen also sent an email linking to a website stating that ‘federal law enforcement had some degree of infiltration among the crowds gathered at the Capitol,’ leading Mr. Allen to comment that this supposed fact raised ‘serious concerns’ about the U.S. government’s participation in the riot.” [New York Times, 5/17/23]

FBI Investigators Said Marcus Allen Reported That He Found No Information In Open Source Research That A January 6th Suspect Had Engaged In Criminal Activity Or Had Any “Nexus To Terrorism,” But Another Employee Found Publicly Available Information That The Suspect Assaulted Police Officers At The Capitol. “F.B.I. investigators also found that Mr. Allen, who filed a lawsuit against Mr. Wray last year contesting the initial suspension of his clearance, failed to provide relevant information to fellow agents investigating the riot about people who allegedly took part in the attack, the letter said.  The letter noted that when another agent asked Mr. Allen to conduct open source research about a Jan. 6 suspect, he reported back that he had found no information that the person had engaged in any criminal activity or had any ‘nexus to terrorism.’ Based on Mr. Allen’s reports, the letter said, the other agent closed the case, but it was later reopened after a different F.B.I. employee discovered publicly available information showing that the target of the inquiry had assaulted police officers at the Capitol.” [New York Times, 5/17/23]

GOP Witness Embraced Conspiracy Theories That A Federal Informant Instigated Trump Supporters To Attack The Capitol On January 6th

George Hill Embraced A Conspiracy Theory That An Arizona Man Was A Federal Informant Who Helped Instigate The Attack On The Capitol On January 6th. “The report also said that Mr. Hill had embraced a conspiracy theory that an Arizona man named Ray Epps was a federal informant who helped to instigate the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Prominent Republicans — including Mr. Trump — have widely promoted the claim, which Mr. Epps denies and the House Jan. 6 committee determined to be unfounded.” [New York Times, 3/2/23]

George Hill Claimed January 6th Was A “Set Up,” That There Was A “Larger Democrat Plan Using Their Enforcement Arm, The FBI” And He Described The FBI As “The Brown Shirt Enforcers Of The DNC.” “Mr. Hill has claimed on Twitter that the Jan. 6 attack was a ‘set up,’ and that there was ‘a larger #Democrat plan using their enforcement arm, the #FBI.’ He also described the F.B.I. as ‘the Brown Shirt enforcers of the @DNC,’ making an apparent reference to Nazi storm troopers to describe the federal law enforcement agency and its relationship to the Democratic National Committee.” [New York Times, 3/2/23]

George Hill Tweeted “Insurrection My A$$.” “Democrats sought to highlight Hill’s ‘bias’ about the chain of events surrounding the January 6 riot by sharing in their report numerous tweets by Hill. Hill tweeted, for instance, ‘insurrection my a$$’ and that the riot was a ‘set up’; however, Hill wrote all of the Democrats’ cited tweets after he left the FBI.” [Breitbart, 3/6/23]

GOP Witnesses Received Money From A Key Trump Ally And One Used A Big Lie Attorney

Garret O’Boyle Received An Undisclosed Sum Of Money From A Nonprofit Run By Vocal Trump Ally Kash Patel. “Both O’Boyle and Friend said they received payments from Patel through Fight with Kash, a nonprofit organization Patel established to provide ‘veteran and law enforcement financial support,’ according to Patel’s website. Friend received $5,000, he told congressional investigators; O’Boyle declined to share the amount.” [Rolling Stone, 3/2/23]

Steve Friend Testified That He Received Financial Support From Trump Loyalist, And Former High Ranking Official In The Trump Administration, Kash Patel – Patel Sent Friend $5,000 Almost Immediately After Connecting. “Mr. O’Boyle and Mr. Friend both testified that they had received financial support from Kash Patel, a Trump loyalist and former high-ranking official in the former president’s administration. Mr. Friend said Mr. Patel sent him $5,000 almost immediately after they connected in November 2022 and that Mr. Patel has helped to promote Mr. Friend’s forthcoming book on social media.” [New York Times, 3/2/23]

  • Kash Patel Was Described As One Of Former President Trump’s “Staunchest Loyalists.” “Over the past year, one of Donald Trump’s staunchest loyalists, a rising star on the right named Kash Patel, has been soliciting donations and raising money for ‘Fight With Kash,’ a charity he launched after leaving the Trump administration two years ago.” [ABC News, 3/8/22]
  • CNBC Reported That Kash Patel Became An “Influential Voice Arguing That [President Trump] Should Not Accept His Election Loss To President Joe Biden.” “Patel served on the National Security Council during the Trump administration, and in the weeks following the 2020 presidential election, he became an influential voice arguing that the president should not accept his election loss to President Joe Biden.” [CNBC, 11/3/22]

Garret O’Boyle Was Being Represented By Jesse Binnall, A Former Trump Campaign Attorney Who Worked To Overturn The 2020 Election Results In Nevada And Served As A Go-To Attorney For Trump In January 6th Litigation. “Garret O’Boyle, a third FBI whistleblower who spoke with committee staff, is represented by Jesse Binnall, former Trump campaign attorney who worked to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Nevada; Binnall now acts as one of Trump’s go-to attorneys for Jan. 6-related litigation.” [Rolling Stone, 3/2/23]

  • Garret O’Boyle Said He Was Connected To Jesse Binnall Through Vocal Trump Ally Kash Patel. “O’Boyle told staff he’d been connected to Binnall through Kash Patel, a former Trump administration official and one of Trump’s most vocal defenders in his post presidency.” [Rolling Stone, 3/2/23]

Mike Pence Defended Trump During His First Impeachment And Now That Saga Is Central To James Comer’s Investigation Conspiracies

MIKE PENCE, TOOL OF THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S CORRUPTION, CONTINUES TO PARROT CONSPIRACY THEORIES ABOUT JOE BIDEN AND HIS FAMILY

Mike Pence Supported Rep. James Comer’s Investigations Into Joe Biden And His Family. “The American people deserve answers, and I just am so proud of members of Congress for holding them accountable,’ Pence said. ‘This is why we have a separation of powers under the Constitution. And this is why the Congress has the authority they have, and they’ve got to get to the bottom of it. They’ve got to hold Joe Biden and his family accountable for the truth. The American people deserve no less.” [Washington Examiner, 5/10/23]

  • Mike Pence Supported The House GOP’s Investigations Into Joe Biden And His Family. “The former vice president also expressed support for House Republicans using their investigative powers to hold the Biden administration accountable, including by looking into the president’s son Hunter Biden. Pence said Congress should ‘deeply examine’ how information from Hunter Biden’s laptop was suppressed in the weeks before the 2020 election.” [Hill, 1/12/23]

Rep. James Comer Admitted His Investigation Was All About Politics

HEADLINE: “House GOP Chairman Links His Investigation To Biden’s Poll Numbers” [Washington Post, 5/22/23]

  • James Comer Suggested That His Investigations Were Responsible For Former President Trump Being Ahead Of President Biden In Some Polls. FOX NEWS ANCHOR: “So do you think that because of your investigation, that is what’s moved this needle with the media?” REP. JAMES COMER: “Absolutely. Absolutely. There’s no question. You look at the polling, and right now Donald Trump is seven points ahead of Joe Biden and trending upward; Joe Biden’s trending downward. And I believe that the media is looking around, scratching their head, and they’re realizing the American people are keeping up with our investigation.” [Fox News, Fox & Friends First, 5/22/23] (video)

James Comer Has Presented No Evidence For His Allegations About President Biden

HEADLINE: “Republicans Offer No Evidence Of Crimes At Press Conference On Alleged ‘Biden Family Corruption’” [The Independent, 5/11/23]

HEADLINE: “Comer Investigation Of Biden Relatives Swings And Misses On Allegations Of Influence Peddling” [TIME Magazine, 5/10/23]

HEADLINE: “Republicans Finally Admit They Have No Incriminating Evidence On Joe Biden “ [New Republic, 5/10/23]

HEADLINE: “Comer Releases Biden Family Probe Update Without Showing Link To President” [Politico, 5/10/23]

HEADLINE: “House GOP Digs In On Biden Family Dealings Without Directly Connecting President” [The Hill, 5/10/23]

HEADLINE: “House Republican Report Finds No Evidence Of Wrongdoing By President Biden” [New York Times, 5/10/23]

HEADLINE: “Facing ‘Make-Or-Break Moment,’ GOP’s Comer Fails Spectacularly “ [MSNBC, Maddow Blog, 5/11/23]

CNN: “But The Latest [GOP] Report Does Not Show Any Payments Made Directly To Joe Biden, Either As Vice President Or After Leaving Office.” [CNN, 5/10/23]

NBC News: “Comer Did Not Provide Examples Of Any Specific Policy Decisions That Were Influenced.” “Asked whether the committee will be able to prove that Biden was directly involved in his son’s business dealings and that policy changes were influenced by it, Comer did not provide examples of any specific policy decisions that were influenced.” [NBC News, 5/10/23]

Axios: “The Memo Presented Wednesday By House Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) Included No Evidence That President Biden Acted Improperly Or Took Any Official Action Because Of His Family’s Business Affairs.” [Axios, 5/10/23]

HEADLINE: “‘You Don’t Actually Have Any Facts’: Even Fox Isn’t Buying Gop’s Claims About Biden’s Foreign Business Dealings” [Rolling Stone, 5/11/23]

Rep. James Comer Is Wasting Taxpayer Dollars Recycling Conspiracy Theories That Have Been Debunked Over And Over Again

HEADLINE: “FBI Had Reviewed, Closed Inquiry Into Biden Claims At Center Of Hill Fight” [Washington Post, 6/5/23]

The Document Rep. James Comer Is Demanding From The FBI Was Part Of Information Rudy Giuliani Collected From Ukraine. “The FBI and Justice Department under then-Attorney General William P. Barr reviewed allegations from a confidential informant about Joe Biden and his family, and they determined there were no grounds for further investigative steps, according to Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and other people familiar with the investigation. […] According to people familiar with the investigation who spoke on the condition of anonymity to detail sensitive information, the allegation in the document came to the FBI through the Pittsburgh field office, where Barr had created a channel for allegations involving Ukraine. That included materials Rudy Giuliani — who was then President Donald Trump’s personal attorney — had gathered from Ukrainian sources claiming to have damaging information about Biden and his family.” [Washington Post, 6/5/23]

  • Associated Press Said Conservative Conspiracy Theory That Vice President Joe Biden Pushed For Ukraine To Fire Its Top Prosecutor In Order To Protect Hunter Biden And Burisma From Investigation Was “Widely Discredited.” “Trump and his supporters, meanwhile, have advanced a widely discredited theory that Biden pushed for the firing of Ukraine’s top prosecutor to protect his son and Burisma from investigation. Biden did indeed press for the prosecutor’s firing, but that’s because he was reflecting the official position of not only the Obama administration but many Western countries and because the prosecutor was perceived as soft on corruption.” [Associated Press, 10/28/20]
  • Vox Reported Trump Claim That Joe Biden Took Action In Ukraine Designed To Help Hunter Biden And His Clients Was “Widely Debunked.” “First, Trump’s team has tried to argue that, as vice president, Joe Biden took action designed to help Hunter’s clients in some way. Their highest-profile example — the vice president urging the firing of Ukraine’s prosecutor general — was widely debunked last year, since the prosecutor general was himself corrupt and many Western governments and institutions wanted him removed for that reason.” [Vox, 10/22/20]

FLASHBACK TO 2019 WHEN MIKE PENCE DEFENDED PRESIDENT TRUMP FOR PRESSURING UKRAINE TO INVESTIGATE JOE BIDEN AND HIS SON

HEADLINE: “Pence Says Biden, Son Should Be Investigated For Ukraine Dealings” [Reuters, 10/3/19]

Then-Vice President Mike Pence Supported President Trump’s Call For An Investigation Into Hunter Biden’s Work In Ukraine, Which Was The Subject Of An Impeachment Inquiry. “U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday offered a full-throated defense of President Donald Trump’s call for an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son’s dealings with Ukraine, saying the American people deserve to know the facts. ‘The American people have the right to know whether or not the vice president of the United States or his family profited from his position,’ Pence told reporters in Scottsdale, Arizona.  In a phone call in July, President Donald Trump pressed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate Biden, the leading candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, and his son Hunter.” [Reuters, 10/3/19]

  • The House Impeached Former President Trump After Being Accused Of Withholding Aid To Ukraine Unless Officials Investigated Joe Biden. “Parnas, now 51, shot to prominence in 2019. He was a key figure in the events leading to Trump’s first impeachment, working with Giuliani to gather damaging information on Democrat Joe Biden’s son Hunter in Ukraine. Accused of withholding aid to Ukraine unless Kyiv investigated Biden, Trump was impeached by the Democratic-led House of Representatives and charged with abuse of power. He was acquitted by the Republican-majority Senate.” [Reuters, 5/22/23]

Then-Vice President Pence Said President Trump Thought Other Countries Should Investigate Joe Biden And His Family As Well. “Pence, who had remained largely silent as the political controversy erupted, firmly sided with Trump in his remarks.  ‘My predecessor had a son who was paid $50,000 a month to be on a Ukrainian board at the time that Vice President Biden was leading the Obama administration’s efforts in Ukraine, I think (that) is worth looking into,’ Pence said. ‘And the president has made it very clear that he believes … other nations around the world should look into it as well.’” [Reuters, 10/3/19]

President Trump Reportedly Used Mike Pence As A Tool To Exert Pressure On Ukrainian Leaders While He Was Squeezing Other Channels In An Attempt To Dig Up Dirt On Joe Biden

HEADLINE: “Trump Involved Pence In Efforts To Pressure Ukraine’s Leader, Though Officials Say Vice President Was Unaware Of Allegations In Whistleblower Complaint” [Washington Post, 10/2/19]

President Trump Reportedly Instructed Mike Pence To Not Attend Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Inauguration As A Way To Pressure Ukrainian On Investigating The Bidens. “Trump instructed Pence not to attend the inauguration of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in May — an event White House officials had pushed to put on the vice president’s calendar — when Ukraine’s new leader was seeking recognition and support from Washington, the officials said.” [Washington Post, 10/2/19]

President Trump Reportedly Used Mike Pence To Tell Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky That U.S. Aid Was Still Being Withheld While Demanding More Aggressive Action To Address Corruption.  “Months later, the president used Pence to tell Zelensky that U.S. aid was still being withheld while demanding more aggressive action on corruption, officials said. At that time — following Trump’s July 25 phone call with Zelenksy — the Ukrainians probably understood action on corruption to include the investigation of former vice president Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden. [Washington Post, 10/2/19]

One Of Mike Pence’s Top Advisors Was Reportedly On President Trump’s July 25th Call With Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky During Which Trump Urged Zelensky To Investigate Hunter Biden. “Perhaps most significantly, one of Pence’s top advisers was on the July 25 call and the vice president should have had access to the transcript within hours, officials said. […] A senior administration official said Pence was not among the handful of officials at the White House and the State Department who listened in on Trump’s July 25 call with Zelensky, which is a key element of the whistleblower report and the impeachment inquiry.  In the call, Trump asked for a ‘favor’ and urged Zelensky to cooperate with Attorney General William P. Barr to look for compromising information about Hunter Biden. Without evidence, Trump alleged that Joe Biden used his influence as vice president in 2016 to kill an investigation into the gas company and his son.” [Washington Post, 10/2/19]