Shafer Subpoenaed in January 6 Probe
Georgia Republican Party Committee Chairman David Shafer has been subpoenaed by the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol. Shafer is one of more than a dozen individuals from seven states who were selected as officers to serve as “alternate electors” who would vote for Donald Trump, who lost to Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election. Another Georgian, Shawn Still, who was selected to serve as secretary of the fraudulent alternate electors, has also been subpoenaed.
The letter to Shafer states: “Based on publicly available information and information provided to the Select Committee, we believe that you have documents and information that are relevant to the Select Committee’s investigation. For example, according to documents sent to the National Archives, you were a purported Electoral College elector who met with other purported electors on or about December 14, 2020 to cast votes for former President Trump and former Vice President Pence despite the fact that your state had made a final determination that Joseph Biden, Jr. and Kamala Harris were the winners of the November 2020 presidential election and the appointment of their electors had been certified. Your delegation of purported electors for former President Trump and former Vice President Pence then sent an alleged ‘Certificate of the Votes’ of the purported electors to Congress for consideration by former Vice President Pence, in his role as President of the Senate, during the Joint Session of Congress on January 6, 2021. 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 Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol is seeking documents and depositions from Shafer and Still regarding Georgia’s slate of alternate electors. A failure to comply with the select committee could result in a referral to the House for contempt of Congress. Such a charge would ultimately be sent to the Department of Justice for a determination of whether to pursue a criminal charge. Unlike the contempt charge against former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, an executive privilege claim isn’t going to be an issue with Shafer and Still.
Although the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol has been criticized by Republicans loyal to Trump, the criticism is ironic considering that a bipartisan commission was originally proposed and rejected by congressional Republicans (the House vote is here, and the Senate vote is here). Only two Republicans, Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, serve on the select committee, which was created by the House after the initiative for a bipartisan commission concept failed. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who appointed Cheney and Kinzinger, rejected members selected by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). McCarthy subsequently chose to boycott the select committee.
