WASHINGTON (CN) — The House committee investigating last year's attempted insurrection issued a round of subpoenas Friday for 14 people from seven states who served as "alternate electors" in former President Donald Trump's fraudulent attempt to undermine the Electoral College and overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Each of the 14 people submitted bogus Electoral College votes for Trump to Congress on behalf of states where a majority of voters had in fact chosen the Democratic candidate, Joe Biden.
The alternate electors hail from Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, New Mexico, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, and the panel says Trump's campaign and advisers used their fake electoral votes "to justify delaying or blocking the certification of the election during the Joint Session of Congress on January 6th, 2021."
It was during that Jan. 6 ceremony to certify Biden's win that Trump held a rally where he urged his reporters to "fight like hell," a cry that brought hundreds of them to the U.S. Capitol for a bloody if ultimately unsuccessful siege.
“The Select Committee is seeking information about attempts in multiple states to overturn the results of the 2020 election, including the planning and coordination of efforts to send false slates of electors to the National Archives," Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson said in a statement. "We believe the individuals we have subpoenaed today have information about how these so-called alternate electors met and who was behind that scheme. We encourage them to cooperate with the Select Committee’s investigation to get answers about January 6th for the American people and help ensure nothing like that day ever happens again."
Among those subpoenaed Friday are Nancy Cottle and Loraine Pellegrino, who held themselves out as the chair and secretary on Arizona's illegitimate slate of electors. Cottle is the vice president of the Arizona Federation of Republican Women, and Pellegrino is the organization's former president.
David Shafer and Shawn Still from Georgia were subpoenaed by the committee for serving as the respective chair and secretary of the Peach State's bogus slate of electors. Shafer is the chair of the Georgia GOP, and Still is running for one of Georgia's seats in the Senate.
Kathy Berden, a former national committee woman for the Republican National Committee, and Mayra Rodriguez, who lost a House race in 2020, were subpoenaed to turn over information about their role as alternate Michigan electors.
Jewll Powdrell and Deborah Maestas, former chairperson of the Republican Party of New Mexico, were included in the committee's inquiry, as well as Michael McDonald and James DeGraffenreid of Nevada, all for participating as either the chair or secretary of their state's plot. McDonald is the head of Nevada's Republican Party.
Bill Bachenberg and Lisa Patton of Pennsylvania and Andrew Hitt, former head of the Wisconsin Republican Party, and Kelly Ruh of Wisconsin are also included in the inquest.
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