Yet the congressmen and others from Pennsylvania nevertheless spent months supporting the claim that widespread fraud, procedural decisions, or irregularities undermined the integrity of the election, lending their authority to the argument that the very foundation of American democracy was being corrupted.
That belief among some Trump supporters fueled an insurrection at the Capitol last week that left five dead and threatened the peaceful transfer of power, prompting a second impeachment vote set for Wednesday.
Each claim fell by the wayside: The Trump campaign did not allege even a single instance of voter fraud in numerous Pennsylvania lawsuits, courts repeatedly rejected complaints about procedures, and the vote counting Perry and others cited was the result, widely predicted before Election Day, of mail ballots taking longer to count and being used more heavily by Democrats.
There’s only evidence of one attempt to vote on behalf of a dead person: It was by a Trump supporter in Delaware County, and emerged well after Kelly and Reschenthaler made their claims.
So when eight Pennsylvania congressmen objected last week to accepting Pennsylvania’s votes for president, a move that would have disenfranchised every voter in the state, they narrowed their arguments — instead citing administrative procedures and saying they were only trying to ensure the integrity of Pennsylvania’s vote.
A week later — even as new videos and evidence emerge capturing the horror of the Capitol assault and the FBI warns of potential new attacks — none of the lawmakers have broken with Trump or voiced second thoughts about their votes.