The GOP-controlled Pennsylvania Senate voted in favor of issuing a series of subpoenas regarding their forensic investigation of the 2020 election. The state Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee voted 7-4 in approval of demands to gain access via the Pennsylvania State Department to voters’ personal information, including the last four digits of Social Security numbers and driver’s license information from those who voted in the race, as part of the review.
The Republicans are also requesting to know how each person voted, whether by mail, absentee or in-person. In addition to that, they want to know when each ballot was cast, both in the presidential election and May’s primary election. They have stated that the efforts are not being done in order to overturn the election, but to investigate the matter fully and sure up the voting process based on what is found, if anything.
Pennsylvania State Senator Cris Dush, who chairs the committee, said he had heard sworn affidavits of people visiting addresses “that were listed for a voter” and found the location to be a condemned building. “There have been questions regarding the validity of people who have voted, whether or not they exist,” said Dush. “Again, we’re not responding to proven allegations. We are investigating the allegations to determine whether or not they are factual.”
Democrat Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf said he will do whatever he can to stop pro-election integrity republicans from obtaining the information they want. “This information request is merely another step to undermine democracy, confidence in our elections and to capitulate to Donald Trump’s conspiracy theories about the 2020 election,” Wolf said in a statement on Wednesday. “Senate Republicans would rather cater to the fringe elements of their party who still are perpetuating the Big Lie rather than focus on issues that affect Pennsylvanians’ live.”
In addition to records requests, Republicans also want records of communication between Wolf’s administration and certain counties. Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman said the investigation is “the most important thing in front of” the GOP at the moment.
45th President Donald Trump has long called for a Maricopa County-style audit of the state’s 2020 election results. Joe Biden narrowly won the state after results that were delayed by multiple days. Pennsylvania had previously sent a delegation that included senators Cris Dush and Doug Mastriano to tour the Maricopa audit site back in June.
