A Missouri House committee approved a resolution Monday night in Jefferson City that declares the Missouri House’s lack of faith in the 2020 presidential election results.
Missouri House Special Committee on Government Oversight Chairman Robert Ross, R-Yukon, speaks at the Statehouse in Jefferson City on December 14, 2020 (photo courtesy of Ben Peters at House Communications)
The party line vote was 6-3, with Republicans on the House Special Committee on Government Oversight in favor and Democrats opposed. The hearing, which took more than two-and-a-half hours, was heated from the start, and featured testimony from former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who clashed with Democratic lawmakers on the committee.
The GOP chairman of the House Rules Committee announced Monday evening that he will not hold a hearing on the resolution, so the issue won’t be heading to the Missouri House floor.
State Rep. Justin Hill, R-Lake St. Louis, sponsored the resolution, saying future elections are at stake. His resolution names Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada. The resolution says that if a full and fair investigation isn’t done, Congress should refuse to accept the electoral votes from those six states.
During the hearing, Hill testified that critics have called for him to be hanged for his resolution, and that he’s been called a seditionist. He says the fraud in other states is enough to change the election results. Hill read letters he’s received from Missourians and others supporting his effort.
“This obviously is perceived by the public nationwide as an election that there is very little confidence in the results of those six swing states,” Hill testifies.
During the hearing, State Rep. Keri Ingle, D-Lee’s Summit, questioned some information contained in Hill’s three-page resolution. She says the allegation that 20,000 nonresidents cast ballots in Georgia has been debunked. Hill says it has not been.
Former Mayor Giuliani, who’s leading the Trump campaign’s post-election legal challenges, testified via zoom before the committee. Giuliani describes Philadelphia as a “crooked Democratic machine,” and alleged fraud in Georgia as well. State Rep. Peter Merideth, D-St. Louis, clashed with Giuliani, with the two speaking over each other several times.
“I think we’re right to be upset about this action and about your spreading of misinformation and lies that are inflaming things across our country, at a time when we need to move on and accept the results of an election. Thank you,” Merideth tells Giuliani.
“Obviously, you have no interest in the truth. All you have an interest in is lecturing me,” Giuliani responds.
“I have no interest in more and more lies from you,” Merideth says. “I am tired of your lies. America is tired of your lies, and they are dangerous, sir. They are dangerous.”
“You are very dangerous, because you’re covering up a massive election fraud,” Giuliani responds.
The two continued to speak over each other, until committee chairman Robert Ross, R-Yukon, hit the gavel multiple times.
Veteran State Rep. Jon Carpenter, D-Gladstone, voted against Hill’s resolution. Carpenter and Hill note they are friends, despite being from different parties.
“We’ve just had a national election and what the current President of the United States and what a number of his supporters, including yourself, are doing is incredible divisive. I think it undermines faith in our democracy,” says Carpenter.
Giuliani and Carpenter also clashed during the hearing, saying the other has demeaned themselves.
Hill’s resolution alleges that 50,000 votes held on USB cards are missing in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. It also says that 86,000 Pennsylvania absentee ballots are questionable.
66 Missouri GOP state representatives signed Hill’s resolution. They include House Majority Floor Leader Rob Vescovo, R-Arnold, who will be Speaker in January.
House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, participated in the hearing. While she’s not on the oversight committee, she is an ex-officio member of all House committees.
“The only evidence of fraud at tonight’s hearing was the litany of lies and debunked conspiracies House Republicans put forth in their dishonest attempt to steal the presidential election for Donald Trump,” Quade says, in a written statement.
Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft (R) also testified at the hearing, for informational purposes. Republican and Democratic members on the committee requested that he appear, to answer questions about Missouri’s November election. Ashcroft answered about 20 minutes of questions from the committee.
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