Mastriano, Pa. nominee, cuts short interview with 1/6 panel
Source: Washington Post
WASHINGTON — Pennsylvania’s Republican governor nominee Doug Mastriano appeared briefly Tuesday before the Jan. 6 committee investigating the U.S. Capitol insurrection but shared little as the panel probes Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Mastriano, who was outside the Capitol that day and helped organize efforts in Pennsylvania to submit alternate presidential electors beholden to Trump, cut the interview short. He disputed the validity of the committee and the terms of the appearance, his attorney said. Mastriano’s attorney, Timothy Parlatore, said his client wanted to be able to record the interview and said little during the brief session, which was over in less than 15 minutes.
Parlatore said they plan to challenge the committee in court. “Because he’s currently in a general election, we just want some protective measures,” Parlatore said in a phone interview, “to prevent them from putting out a false or misleading quote that would potentially impact the election.” Mastriano was one of two people expected to provide private interviews Tuesday before the committee, according to a person familiar with the situation who was granted anonymity to discuss it. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has also been in talks to testify on Tuesday, CNN and other outlets have reported.
Committee chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson issued the subpoena for Mastriano back in February as the panel intensified its probe of the “fake electors” scheme, seeking documentation from him and others potentially involved and in close contact with Trump. The committee “is seeking information about efforts to send false slates of electors to Washington and change the outcome of the 2020 election,” Thompson wrote. “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.”
Mastriano, who organized two buses from central Pennsylvania for the Trump speech that preceded the violent siege and himself had VIP seating at the rally, walked to the Capitol afterward. He had been scheduled to speak on the Capitol steps that afternoon. Parlatore said Mastriano “knows nothing about any insurrection” and did not witness any violence or see any firearms. He said his client would be willing to testify publicly before the panel. A retired Army officer who beat out several candidates to emerge as the GOP nominee for governor in Pennsylvania, Mastriano has previously been willing to talk to the committee. He also spoke with the FBI last year and said he did not know about a planned insurrection, his lawyer has said. Mastriano has said he had regular calls with then-President Donald Trump in the months between Trump’s reelection defeat and the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/16-panel-to-interview-pa-governor-nominee-mastriano/2022/08/09/23e903f4-17f9-11ed-b998-b2ab68f58468_story.html
No paywall link
A judge should throw out any crap challenge from this loon. The conviction of Bannon for contempt is proof that the J6 Committee is valid. He spearheaded the Gettysburg super-spreader event featuring Ghouliani.
By Robby BrodJune 9, 2022
This story originally appeared on WITF.
Pennsylvania Republican state Sen. Doug Mastriano has been identified as a key figure by the House Jan. 6 committee in their investigation into the Capitol insurrection and efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Mastriano repeatedly supported Trump’s election-fraud lies, including staging a policy committee meeting in November 2020 that gave Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani — and Trump, who called into the meeting — a platform for disinformation. Mastriano spent over $3,000 to bus over 100 Trump supporters to D.C. on Jan. 6.
During the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, Mastriano was seen crossing police barricades. He said he did not cross any lines established by law enforcement. Mastriano has denied a subpoena from the committee, but recently agreed to an interview in lieu of a deposition. He has also voluntarily handed over some documents — but the committee said it was not requesting documents involving his work as a Pennsylvania state senator.
From Election Day to Jan. 6, Mastriano promoted baseless conspiracy theories. The Jan. 6 committee has said he worked with the Trump White House to undermine the results of the 2020 election. He condemned the insurrection, despite spreading disinformation that motivated the attack, according to reporting from news organizations, investigations, and public records.
The Jan. 6 committee has also subpoenaed midstate Pa. Republican U.S. Rep. Scott Perry for his involvement in Trump’s attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 Election. Here’s the timeline for how Scott Perry promoted election lies between Election Day and Jan. 6. Information used in these timelines comes from the Jan. 6 committee, the lawmaker’s social media pages, public records, and other reporting.
Timeline of Sen. Mastriano’s history of spreading disinformation about the 2020 Election and attempting to overturn its results between Nov. 2, 2020 and Jan. 15, 2021. (Robby Brod/WITF)
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https://whyy.org/articles/doug-mastriano-election-lies-disinformation-jan-6/
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