Utah Sen. Mike Lee often describes his political ideology as strict adherence to the U.S. Constitution.
Transcripts, documents, text messages and the final report from the House Jan. 6th Committee show Lee actively tried to keep Donald Trump in the White House, despite Trump’s loss to Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 election, and only abandoned the plot when it threatened to expand beyond that constitutional framework.
Text messages between Lee and then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows show Lee was part of the effort to overturn Trump’s election loss starting when Biden was declared the winner on November 7, 2020.
The Jan. 6 committee has now revealed that Lee was communicating with top Trump campaign legal adviser Cleta Mitchell that same day about strategies for keeping Trump in office. Mitchell was part of the now-infamous phone call where Trump pressured Georgia election officials to “find” enough votes to give him the win in that state.
“What should I be doing right now? I’m trying to find out what’s winnable and what isn’t,” Lee texted Mitchell, according to the transcript of her testimony to the House Jan. 6 committee.
“I suspect that the only way to win this election would involve identifying systemic fraud,” Lee added.
A month later, Mitchell texted Lee, telling him, “the Senate should start making plans to object” to Biden electors, using claims of a fraudulent election as their justification. Lee suggests that having state legislatures appoint alternate electors would be more fertile ground and key for getting his colleagues to sign on.
“I think that’s the best way to frame this, that our role (as to any state’s electoral votes) is triggered by the existence of a competing slate of electors? That seems to be the sweet spot for getting my colleagues to engage,” Lee wrote.
n Dec. 9, Lee reached out to Mitchell, looking for news of alternate electors.
“Is there any chance we will see competing slates of electors named in some states?” Lee asked.
Mitchell instructed Lee to reach out to Meadows, who was in charge of that part of the plan. Lee had texted Meadows the day before, suggesting if, “a very small handful of states” appointed alternate electors, “there could be a path.”
During her testimony, Mitchell was asked about an email she received from conservative activist Tom Fitton asking about alternate electors. Mitchell pinned the entire scheme on Lee.
“It wasn’t my idea. It was actually Mike Lee’s idea,” Mitchell said.
Over the next few days, Lee reportedly met with Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs and Alabama Rep. Mo Brooks to strategize about overturning Trump’s election loss. Biggs was one of a handful of members of Congress who asked Trump for a pardon for their role in the Jan. 6 insurrection, the Arizona Republic reported. Brooks wore body armor when he spoke at the rally that led to a mob of Trump supporters attacking the U.S. Capitol, according to Slate.
On Dec. 14, 2020, the competing elector gambit was dealt a death blow as no Trump electors in states carried by Biden materialized. After refusing to acknowledge Biden was the winner, Lee finally relented but did not completely close the door on overturning the results.