Lawmakers who backed election fraud concerns silent on US Capitol riot
SAGINAW, Mich. (WJRT) – State legislators from Mid-Michigan showed support through a letter and a lawsuit for continuing unfounded claims that the presidential election was stolen.
ABC12 News has been trying to speak with those legislators about the U.S. Capitol riot, which was fueled in part by those election fraud claims. Getting their reaction has been difficult.
State Rep. Rodney Wakeman of Saginaw Township was one of 15 state legislators to support a lawsuit by the state of Texas to overturn the Michigan electoral vote. The lawsuit failed last month, along with dozens of others across the country.
Still, the claims of election fraud that were in the legal action Wakeman supported helped fuel the riot at the U.S. Capitol last Wednesday, where five people died, including a police officer.
Wakeman has not returned phone calls, emails or social media messages seeking comment on his support of that dismissed lawsuit for two days in the wake of what happened at the Capitol.
State Sen. Kevin Daley, who represents parts of Bay, Lapeer and Tuscola counties, was one of 11 Republican senators who signed a letter sent to Congress two days before the Capitol riot, calling for “the imminent joint session of Congress to pursue every available option and procedure to examine the credible allegations of election-related concerns surrounding fraud and irregularities.”
Daley’s office eventually replied to a request to speak with state senator, but only emailed a statement from Daley saying, “I authorized my signature to be added to a letter that asked for our federal government to utilize all resources for a thorough and exhaustive review of the election, just as we have done in the Michigan Senate.”
Daley has not responded to an email seeking comment on whether he now regrets signing that letter after what took place last Wednesday.
Democratic House Minority Leader Donna Lasinski is asking Republican House Speaker Jason Wentworth to discipline Wakeman and the other state representatives if they don’t disavow their conduct in challenging the election results.
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