U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson says he personally had nothing to do with his staffer attempting to deliver a slate of fake electors to former Vice President Mike Pence.
The issue came up in a text thread between staffers for Johnson and Pence the House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack revealed yesterday.
The Oshkosh Republican in CNN video said a House intern delivered a package to his office meant for Pence. Johnson’s Chief of Staff Sean Riley, who is also a former Trump campaign staffer, then texted one of Pence’s staff asking if he should deliver a slate of fake electors.
“Again, I wasn’t involved, I don’t know what they said, but somebody from the House delivered it to a staff member in my office,” Johnson said. “My chief of staff called the vice president: ‘hey we got this,’ and the vice president said ‘don’t deliver it,’ and we didn’t.”
In 2020, 10 Republicans in Wisconsin — along with Republicans in six other states — submitted an alternate slate of electoral votes in favor of Donald Trump despite President Joe Biden’s victory.
The messages revealed by the House committee show a discussion between Johnson Chief of Staff Sean Riley and Pence aide Chris Hodgson about delivering the electors.
“Johnson needs to hand something to VPOTUS please advise,” Riley wrote.
“What is it?” Hodgson replied.
“Alternate slate of electors for MI and WI because archivist didn’t receive them,” Riley said.
“Do not give that to him,” Hodgson responded.
Johnson spokeswoman Alexa Henning on Twitter said Johnson had “no involvement in the creation of an alternate slate of electors” and had “no foreknowledge” that the electors would be delivered to his office. Henning said Riley contacted Pence’s office.
“The Vice President’s office said not to give it to him and we did not. There was no further action taken,” Henning said. “End of story.”
Yesterday’s hearing also featured previously recorded testimony from former state GOP Chairman Andrew Hitt — one of the alternate electors in the state. Hitt told the committee he was told the electors would only have counted if a court ruled in their favor.
Dem candidates vying for Johnson’s seat were quick to blast him over the issue — including calling for him to resign.
Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes labeled the Oshkosh Republican a “danger to democracy” and called for him to resign immediately.
“Ron Johnson actively tried to undermine this democracy,” Barnes said. “He literally tried to hand Mike Pence a slate of fake electors.”
State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski also slammed Johnson, calling for his resignation and questioning if he had asked for a pardon from former President Trump.
“There it is. Ron Johnson was directly involved in the attempt to overturn the 2020 election and overrule the will of Wisconsin voters,” Godlewski said on Twitter. “He is a threat to our democracy and a disgrace to our state.”
Alex Lasry, who is on leave from his post with the Milwaukee Bucks, called Johnson a “seditious traitor” and “a danger to democracy.”
“If we continue to allow him to answer to no one, the attacks on our democracy and our communities will continue to grow,” Lasry said.
Outagamie County Exec Tom Nelson again called for the committee to subpoena Johnson, for the U.S. Dept. of Justice to investigate Johnson’s role in efforts to subvert the 2020 election results, and for Johnson to resign.
Nelson said the evidence revealed “the full extent of how much Ron Johnson was the ‘go-to guy for insurrection among the Trump plotters” and “how he himself was prepared to subvert our democracy.”
