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Pa. Senate GOP committee head is non-committal about continuing a 2020 election probe

A state court just cleared the Senate’s Intergovernmental Operations committee to press on with its nearly two-year long investigation.

  • Sam Dunklau
Chairman of the Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee Sen. Cris Dush, R-Jefferson, speaks during a hearing at the Pennsylvania Capitol in Harrisburg, Pa., Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021.

 Matt Rourke / AP Photo

Chairman of the Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee Sen. Cris Dush, R-Jefferson, speaks during a hearing at the Pennsylvania Capitol in Harrisburg, Pa., Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021.

The new head of a state Senate committee that launched a probe of Pennsylvania’s 2020 election two years ago is non-committal about continuing it, despite a favorable state court ruling.

Sen. Jarrett Coleman (R-Lehigh), who has led the chamber’s Intergovernmental Operations committee since January, said he’s still deciding what to do now that Sen. Cris Dush (R-Cameron) is no longer in charge. Coleman won election in last year’s midterms after defeating former Sen. Pat Browne in the GOP primary.

“I don’t know. Sen. Dush is now head of [the] State Government [committee], so perhaps another committee may continue the probe,” Coleman said. “I also need to be brought up to speed on the information that they have…that’s part of making my team bigger and making a better decision on that.” 

There is no evidence that would call Pennsylvania’s 2020 election results into question.

Nonetheless, the Intergovernmental Operations panel subpoenaed the Department of State for 2020 voter records nearly two years ago. The panel wanted data like partial social security numbers, and sued when the agency refused to hand it over. 

Arguments centered on whether the Senate committee had the authority to command the release of sensitive voter data and how it would keep such information safe. The third party data security company Senate Republicans hired has been vague about its security procedures, and the contract the company initially signed did not say whether the investigation’s results would be released to the public.

Late last week, Commonwealth Court ruled it wouldn’t force the records to be released, but said the Senate committee has “express constitutional authority to enforce its subpoena.” 

Coleman said while he isn’t “ruling out” moving forward with a 2020 probe, his “focus” is elsewhere. 

“Right now, I think the focus is on regulatory reform and making sure we can get through that legislation,” he said, clarifying that he wants to work on bills that would loosen state regulations for research and development companies.

“But I would not rule out…looking at election law and looking at investigations into elections,” he added, “because I think Pennsylvanians deserve to know that we have free and fair elections.” 

Multiple experts, audits and court cases, as well as a report by prominent Republicans, have proven Pennsylvania’s 2020 election was free and fair, and that the results were accurate. 

Allies of former President Donald Trump, including Pennsylvania county and state officials and private companies, have claimed widespread problems with the 2020 election. There is no evidence to support those claims. Trump lost to President Joe Biden in Pennsylvania by more than 80,000 votes. 

Coleman, who was appointed to the state’s Election Law Advisory Board, is pushing a constitutional amendment to require the Auditor General’s office to audit future elections. He argued that could help quell any remaining doubt about the security of Pennsylvania’s contests. 

Counties and the Department of State already audit elections – and those audits have confirmed election results. The Department of State also conducted a statewide risk-limiting audit of last year’s midterms in November, though the results of that check haven’t been publicly released. 

 

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