former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani Archives

St. Louis Democratic legislator wants Missouri House to investigate Giuliani

January 13, 2021 By Brian Hauswirth

A St. Louis Democratic state lawmaker is calling on the Missouri House to investigate whether former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani committed perjury at a heated December House committee hearing in Jefferson City.

State Rep. Peter Merideth, D-St. Louis, speaks on the Missouri House floor in Jefferson City on January 12, 2021 (photo courtesy of Benjamin Peters at House Communications)

State Rep. Peter Merideth, D-St. Louis, says 20 of his Democratic colleagues have joined in his call.

Republicans control the Missouri House 114-47, and Representative Merideth says he’s sent a letter to House Speaker Rob Vescovo, R-Arnold, requesting an investigation.

On December 14, Giuliani testified via zoom before the House Special Committee on Government Oversight in Jefferson City. Merideth notes Missouri House rules require that witnesses testifying before House committees sign an affidavit that their testimony, to the best of their knowledge, is true on penalty of perjury.

Mayor Giuliani and Representative Merideth clashed multiples times during the December hearing, when Giuliani alleged fraud in both Pennsylvania and Georgia in November’s presidential election.

Both accused each other of being dangerous, and spoke over each other multiple times. The hearing got so heated that then-Committee Chairman Robert Ross, R-Yukon, had to bang the gavel three times, to restore order.

Former Mayor Giuliani, who led the Trump campaign’s post-election legal challenges, described Philadelphia that night as a “crooked Democratic machine,” and alleged fraud in Georgia as well.

“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 told Giuliani that night.

“Obviously, you have no interest in the truth. All you have an interest in is lecturing me,” Giuliani responded.

“I have no interest in more and more lies from you,” Merideth said. “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 responded.

The two continued to speak over each other, until Chairman Ross hit the gavel multiple times.

Giuliani testified that night that GOP inspectors were not allowed proper access to view absentee ballots being counted in Pennsylvania.

Representative Merideth says he’s also sent a letter to the New York State Bar Association.

Remote testimony will likely be up to discretion of Missouri House committee chairs this session

January 12, 2021 By Brian Hauswirth

A Missouri House committee decided Friday that remote testimony via zoom will be up to individual committee chairmen and chairwomen this session.

State Rep. Sara Walsh, R-Ashland, who chairs the Missouri House Consent and House Procedures Committee, hands the gavel over to new House Speaker Rob Vescovo on January 6, 2021 in Jefferson City (photo courtesy of Ben Peters at House Communications)

The Missouri House Consent and House Procedures Committee held about a 90-minute hearing on Friday in Jefferson City, discussing zoom testimony and numerous other rules issues.

Committee members in both parties agree that COVID continues to be a concern, but the GOP-led committee is giving discretion to Missouri House committee chairs. State Rep. Sara Walsh, R-Ashland, chairs the committee.

Remote testimony happened in mid-December, when former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani testified via zoom before the Missouri House Special Committee on Government Oversight. There were some technical issues with Giuliani’s computer that night, and at one point, he was upside down in the screen that Missouri lawmakers were facing.

As for the Consent and House Procedures Committee, they also voted down a proposed amendment Friday from ranking Democratic State Rep. Tracy McCreery, D-Olivette. She says House committees should not hold a hearing on bills and vote the same day, saying lawmakers need more time to study any bill.

McCreery also wants to see masks required in the Missouri House, particularly during committee hearings.

House Majority Floor Leader Dean Plocher, R-Des Peres, testified before the committee on Friday. The committee approved one of his proposals, which would allow Missouri House committees to meet without a quorum. That can be an issue when there is snow and/or ice in Jefferson City.

The committee also discussed the importance of subpoena enforcement for Missouri House committees.

Missouri House Committee approves Presidential election resolution; Giuliani and Missouri Democrats clash

December 15, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

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.

“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.