Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) fought with Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) during a House hearing on Thursday about the recent "audit” of the 2020 Arizona election results conducted by supporters former President Donald Trump.
"Who won the Arizona election: Donald Trump or Joe Biden?" Raskin asked Biggs during the hearing, which was called by the House Oversight Committee.
"We don't know. Biggs responded that there are many issues with the election that took place. Biggs, a Republican congressman for two terms, was reelected to the Fifth District of the state last year in the same election results that he questions.
The "audit", which was conducted in populous Maricopa County, was carried out at the request of the Arizona state Senate. It is controlled by Republicans and funded by pro Trump organizations. The official result was 45,469 votes, but it showed Biden had won by 45.469 more votes than the actual result of 45.109.
Raskin stated, "There's the issue." "Donald Trump refused the results. Unfortunately, we have one the great political parties in the world which has followed him off the ledge of this electoral lunacy. It's dangerous for democracy."
Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) (Bill Clark–Pool/Getty Images
Cyber Ninjas CEO, who conducted the partisan audit, declined the invitation to appear at the hearing. He was a vocal advocate for fraud in the 2020 election, and was working with Trump's allies to reverse the results.
Two Maricopa County GOP election officials testified at the hearing about threats to their families and Trump supporters who refused to acknowledge that the election was stolen.
Jack Sellers is the chairman of Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. He said that he had seen police park in front of his home many nights due to specific threats.
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Bill Gates, the vice chairman of the board, stated that his family has received numerous death threats.
Gates stated, "I have three girls." We have been the victims of many threats in the last few months. We have been doxxed. ... The Board of Supervisors has called us to inform us that people are going to kill our families and ourselves."
Gates stated later that he believes that "lots of the people" involved in the audit weren't focused on "restoring faith and instead, I believe, it was more about raising doubts and I think that we're seeing this again today, quite frankly."
Cyber Ninjas contractors examine the ballots of the 2020 election in Phoenix, May 3. (Courtney Pedroza/Washington Post).
Despite the Trump campaign contesting the results on Christmas Eve, Sellers and Gates were contacted by Rudy Giuliani (Trump's personal lawyer) who suggested they assist in the effort since they were all Republicans.
Giuliani voicemail to Sellers stated that he would like to find a solution so that everyone benefits. This was recorded at the hearing. "We are all Republicans. "I think we all share the same goal."
The hearing was dominated by speculations by Republicans that other aspects of election, such as mail ballots potentially hacking voting machines, could have questioned the results. Trump and his aides made baseless fraud claims, which they also pointed out the millions of Americans who distrust the 2020 election results.
According to polls, most Republicans believe Trump's claims regarding the 2020 election, even though there is no evidence. A Yahoo News/YouGov August survey revealed that 66% of Republicans believe that Trump's election was rigged, stolen and manipulated. Only 18% believe that Joe Biden won the election fair and square.
The conspiracy theory that the 2020 election was stolen has had real-world implications, beginning with the Jan. 6 Capitol Riot, which led to multiple deaths and Trump's impeachment. At least 18 Republican legislators have passed restrictions since November last year that make it harder to vote. They argue that these policy changes are needed to restore trust in elections. Many Republicans have declared that the election was stolen and are running for top office in their states. This raises concerns about what might happen in the event of another close race in 2024.
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