January 6 panel subpoenas Nevada fake electors McDonald, DeGraffenreid

The House Select Committee investigating the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol issued subpoenas Friday to 14 fake electors from seven states, including Nevada State Republican Party Michael McDonald and state party vice chairman James DeGraffenreid.

The committee is seeking information “about your role and participation in the purported slate of electors casting votes for Donald Trump and, to the extent relevant, your role in the events of January 6, 2021,” read the subpoenas.

“The existence of these purported alternate-elector votes was used as a justification to delay or block the certification of the election during the Joint Session of Congress on January 6, 2021,” the subpoenas say, citing a memo from Trump legal advisor John Eastman laying out the steps to overturn the 2020 election.

“We believe the individuals we have subpoenaed today have information about how these so-called alternate electors met and who was behind that scheme,” said Committee chairman Benny Thompson (D-MS) in a statement announcing the subpoenas. 

The Nevada Republican Party publicized the illegitimate signing of fake electors, which occurred outside the Legislative Building in Carson City on Dec. 14, 2020 — the same day the legitimate signing was held virtually. In addition to McDonald and DeGraffenreid, Nevada’s fake document was signed by Duward James Hindle III, Jesse Law, Shawn Meehan and Eileen Rice.

Democrats Joe Biden and Kamala Harris won Nevada by more than 30,600 votes, and no proof of widespread voter fraud has been found.

The illegitimate election documents from Republicans in Nevada and the six other states – Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin were submitted to Congress and the National Archives.

The documents were first obtained and publicized by the watchdog group American Oversight in March 2021. The fake signing ceremonies in December 2020 were initially viewed as little more than a political stunt. But the fake electors have receiving renewed interest since the House Select Committee earlier this month revealed it was looking into the documents as evidence of a possible coordinated conspiracy involving the Trump administration itself.

The Select Committee Friday subpoenaed who listed themselves as state elector chairman and secretary on their respective state’s fake certification that was sent to Congress. In Nevada, McDonald was listed as chairman, and DeGraffenreid as secretary.

Illegitimate election certification documents from New Mexico and Pennsylvania included language making their claims less brazen. For instance, New Mexico’s letter read “on the understanding that it might later be determined that we are the duly elected and qualified Electors…” suggesting the document’s validity was contingent upon proving claims of election fraud.

But Nevada’s version did no such tapering. It begins by outright claiming that the six Republicans are “the duly elected and qualified Electors for President and Vice President of the United States of America from the State of Nevada.”

Under the subpoenas issued Friday, fake electors are to begin appearing before the committee for depositions starting Feb. 16 with the signers of Arizona’s fake certificate. McDonald, DeGraffenreid are to appear before the committee for deposition on Feb. 24.

In his statement, Thompson said the panel encourages the fake certificate signers “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.”

McDonald has attempted to distance the fake electors from the January 6 attack. “Obviously I don’t think anybody saw what was going to take place or would ever in their wildest dreams assume that there would be any type of actions where someone would storm the Capitol and disrupt Congress in their votes,” McDonald told the Las Vegas Review Journal last week. “Obviously, that was unforeseen circumstances.”

Earlier this week Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco told CNN that federal prosecutors are looking at the fake electoral certificates.