As DOJ Announces Investigation, Signs Indicate Oregon Likely Had A Slate of False Electors

     The time between November 7th, 2020, and January 6th, 2021, seemed confusing but almost humorous. Rudy Giuliani alone farted in a court hearing while a Karen screamed, gave a press conference in which his hair dye ran while the Kraken lawyer ran her mouth, and held a press conference between a crematorium and a dildo factory at the wrong Four Seasons. 

     So, it makes sense that, when a video emerged of some Republican officials asking to be let into the Michigan Capitol, claiming they are the real electors while a lone officer kindly told them to go fuck themselves, it seemed like more obnoxious political theater... until January 6th. As it unfolded on live TV, as the world wondered whether members of Congress were killed or injured, it seemed like the worst thing to happen to America. Until the January 6th committee was formed, the GOP talked trash: it was just a riot with a relatively low number of people killed, almost all of whom were rioters; why should it get treated like 9/11? It's become apparent why: they've been hiding much more than that. January 6th was just a symptom of a greater problem, and, while all the vile wastes of oxygen who participated deserve hard time, it was probably the least serious threat to democracy that emerged as a result of the 2020 election. With subpoenas, depositions, and contempt referrals by the committee combined with the vigilance of local journalists across the country broadcast most notably by Ari Melber (who got not one, but two Trump advisers to admit to a coup attempt on live TV) as well as Rachel Maddow, who has covered this story at least daily for weeks, the gaps were filled and seeming isolated instances of idiocy became a clear picture of something far more sinister.

     As we've previously reported, Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul and Representative Mark Pocan formally referred and asked, respectively, the DOJ to take a look into a plot by Republicans to flood Congress with fraudulent electors and force the body to strip Joe Biden of his electoral college win. New Mexico Attorney General Balderas, who also referred the state's electors for charges, Pennsylvania Attorney General Shapiro, and Nevada Attorney General Ford have all launched investigations. Can we take a moment to appreciate the absurdity of Arizona, the only state in which TWO separate sets of false electors were chosen: sure, Georgia has refused to acknowledge that the plot is real, but Arizona, clearly bummed out about the nonpartisan audit and then the Cyber Ninjas audit, announced that its AG, Mark Brnovich, would take a look? Not a look at the fraudulent electors, but at the results of the 2020 election, at least their fourth attempt to overturn an election that took place 15 months ago. I would really like to applaud Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. Not only has she referred her state's electors for federal charges, but she has also announced that she will immediately file state charges carrying up to 19 years in prison if the DOJ doesn't act. It was something she said that caught my attention: Capitol police in Michigan prevented a scheme by the state GOP to open the Capitol doors to allow the fake electors (and the violent mob that followed them) into the Capitol. This reminded me of another seemingly isolated incident that came to light after the January 6th insurrection.

     In December 2020, Oregon Representative Mike Nearman let rioters, who would seriously injure six police officers and damage thousands of dollars' worth of property, into the Oregon Capitol. This act, caught on video, was defended by the Oregon GOP as a dumb mistake made by a zealous guy. That was their mindset until video emerged of Nearman discussing this plan, which he dubbed "Operation Hall Pass," well in advance with far-right groups, which resulted in the Oregon GOP representatives voting with Democrats to expel Mike Nearman, the first such expulsion in state history. Nearman's was the lone dissenting vote. After this, he pled guilty to a misdemeanor to avoid 13 months in prison and was instead given 18 months of probation, 80 hours of community service, and $4,700 in fines. We know that the false electors plot was a coordinated national effort: Trump advisors Rudy Giuliani and Mark Meadows headed it and multiple members of Trump's inner circle admitted it while claiming that what they did was legitimate; we also know this because the wording of the false electoral results from these states is identical except for the state names and the names of the electors. 

     Most damningly, we know that the results were not merely contested by false electors in swing states that Biden won, those that were plagued by conspiracy theories from the far right. New Mexico is a blue state that voted solidly for Biden and yet presented a group of "alternate" electors; the false claim the Donald Trump made was that widespread, foreign-backed voter fraud rendered the entire 2020 election illegitimate in every state, from California to Florida. With this false claim in hand and backed up by the threat of violence against election workers committed to performing their duties, the GOP is working to install cronies who will make the same claims and back them up with action in the future. What happened in 2020 and 2021 and what is still happening is a coup attempt. If any nation in Central America, Africa, the Middle East, or Eastern Europe saw the same thing happening, our foreign policy experts would be quick to take a moral high ground and get involved.

     For context: Nearman, an anti-vaxxer and anti-masker, claimed that it was to protest Oregon's COVID restrictions, but December 21st was the day states counted their electoral votes and appointed their electors, who would then be counted on January 6th. Wouldn't COVID mandates be a convenient excuse for a man hiding his involvement in a serious felony to give to the dangerous buffoons he used as pawns?

     The National Archives and the Department of Justice today both announced criminal probes into the false electors today. They've already unsealed indictments against the Oath Keepers present on January 6th for seditious conspiracy. We know that January 6th was the tip of the iceberg, and far-right groups were heavily involved in efforts in multiple states, Oregon being among the most notable examples. There's a clear pattern here, and the authorities in Oregon and at the DOJ need to investigate not only the seven states already exposed by journalists, but in every state in the nation. Turn over Oregon's rock and see which bugs crawl out from underneath.