Trump supporters sent forged certificates to the National Archives declaring former President Donald Trump the winner in key states that he lost, Politico reports.
As Trump’s team pushed false claims about voter fraud that were repeatedly debunked by courts and election officials, the National Archives received forged certificates of ascertainment declaring Trump the winner in Michigan and Arizona, according to the report.
Both states’ secretaries of state sent those documents to investigators on the House committee investigating the deadly January 6 Capitol riot, as well as communications between the National Archives and state officials about the documents.
AZ launched probe:
The National Archives sent emails to Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs for her “awareness” and informed her that the Archives would not accept them.
Arizona then took legal action against one of the groups responsible, sending a cease-and-desist letter to a pro-Trump “sovereign citizen” group ordering them to stop using the state seal. The letter said the case was referred to the attorney general’s office.
“By affixing the state seal to documents containing false and misleading information about the results of Arizona’s November 3, 2020 General Election, you undermine the confidence in our democratic institutions,” Hobbs wrote.
Jan. 6 panel probes state efforts:
The report comes as the Jan. 6 committee ramps up its investigation into Trumpworld’s pressure on state officials.
The panel has gathered thousands of records from state officials.
“We want to let the public see and hear from those individuals who conducted elections in those states,” Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson told Politico.
The committee has compiled evidence of the White House pressure on Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to help Trump “find” enough votes to overturn his loss in the state as well as other efforts in states like Michigan and Arizona.
Thompson said the committee is expected to make public its findings in the spring.
