PERSON OF INTEREST: PA GOP Governor candidate Doug Mastriano wanted by House Jan 6th Committee

PERSON OF INTEREST: PA GOP Governor candidate Doug Mastriano wanted by House Jan 6th Committee

Another MAGA politician has been found to have ties to the January 6th insurrection and the Capitol Riot. This time, it’s Trumpy Pennsylvania GOP gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano. A sitting Pennsylvania state senator, Mastriano was vocal in his support for Trump and active in pushing the Big Lie. But evidence collected by the House Select Committee investigating the January 6th insurrection reveals a deeper connection. According to CNN, photos showing Mastriano on Capitol grounds on January 6th led to an interview with the FBI.

After Mastriano was originally subpoenaed by the House Select Committee on Feb. 15th, his lawyer – Tim Parlatore – submitted a letter to the committee with links to requested documents. Included were links to receipts confirming payments of over $3000 to charter busses to Washington DC and the insurrection. According to POLITICO, Mastriano’s campaign – Friends of Doug Mastriano – sold over 130 tickets to “Stop the Steal” through an advertisement on Facebook.

The American Independent reported that House Select Committee chair, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), said:

“In addition to being present on the Capitol grounds on Jan. 6, Mastriano helped plan a Republican effort to send a false slate of pro-Trump Pennsylvania electors to Congress — an effort that fellow Republican gubernatorial candidate Lou Barletta, a former U.S. representative, also participated in as one of the false electors.”

Despite this evidence – and more – Mastriano’s attorney insists his client has “nothing to hide.” In response to Mastriano’s cooperation with the January 6th investigation, Palatore stated:

“Sen. Mastriano has nothing to hide and has provided all responsive documents and will be sitting for a voluntary interview as the committee has agreed to forego a formal deposition for him.”

While Mastriano has maintained, that he never breached the Capitol, a recently surfaced video says otherwise. The video appears to show the State Senator on the NW lawn and later moving through barricades and towards East Steps.

In addition to organizing buses to Washington D.C., Mastriano sent a letter to then-acting Attorney General Richard Donoghue at the Department of  Justice, Pittsburgh’s WESA reported. The Jan. 6th committee released hundreds of pages of emails, including Mastriano’s, that were related to attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.

The day after Pennsylvania certified the state’s results for Biden, Mastriano hosted an infamous “hearing” before the state’s Senate Majority Policy Committee. The kangaroo-court-style event took place at a hotel and featured disgraced former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani.

The American Independent has highlighted Mastriano’s campaign finance irregularities – he actually raised almost double the $550,000 that he originally disclosed – and the fact that he spent more than was previously known. Before Mastriano secured the Pennsylvania GOP nomination for governor, Marisa Nahem – spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party – told The American Independent:

“Doug Mastriano has done more to help Donald Trump overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election than any other candidate in Pennsylvania’s crowded far-right gubernatorial primary … if Mastriano wins the primary, the Pennsylvania Democratic Party will do everything we can to make sure Doug Mastriano doesn’t get anywhere near the Governor’s office.”

Doug Mastriano has agreed to testify before the House January 6th investigation committee. Let’s hope that with the evidence that’s been brought forth – video of Mastriano breaching the Capitol, selling tickets to Stop the Steal, paying for transportation to the Capitol, and attempting to overturn the election using fake electors – that there is consequence and accountability to Trump’s star coup-candidate for the Pennsylvania GOP. While some say he is too extreme to beat his Democratic opponent, Josh Shapiro, one thing we know about MAGA supporters– is they never let a little thing like rules stop them.

Follow Ty Ross on Twitter @cooltxchick

Ty Ross

News journalist for Washington Press and Occupy Democrats.