An aide to Johnson sent a message to then-Vice President Mike Pence that a Wisconsin Republican wanted to hand over “fake” Pence voters just before Congress began on Jan. 6 to attest to Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory.
The committee showed text messages sent by Johnson’s aide Sean Riley to Pence’s aide Chris Hodgson, who said Johnson “should pass something on to VPOTUS, please advise him.”
“What is?” Hodgson asked.
“Alternative voter lists for MI and WI because the archivist didn’t get them,” Riley said.
“Don’t give him that,” Hodgson said.
After the hearing, Johnson told CNN he had “no idea” who tried to get him to share the fake Michigan and Wisconsin voters with Pence, but he admitted he was aware of the inquiry on the morning of January 6, 2021.
“I was aware that we had received this package and that someone wanted to deliver it, so we turned to Pence’s office,” he said.
Leaving the Capitol later Tuesday, Johnson revealed that a House employee had taken him to his office, but said he did not know whose office the employee was from and was not interested in finding out.
“We didn’t know – literally not – it was staff to staff – someone from the House, some intern, you know, said yes, the vice president needs this or whatever. I’m not involved, “Johnson said.” I don’t know what they said. But … someone in the House handed me over to an employee in my office. deliver it, ”and we didn’t.
Asked if he wanted to know who sent him, he said: “No. No, because there is no conspiracy here. This is complete nonsense, boys. Complete non-history.” However, he later said he asked his staff about it when the news broke and “no one knows” who sent it.
Reports from aides not previously disclosed show that Johnson played a role in efforts to raise “fake” Trump voters who were not certified by any state legislature.
The announcements were exchanged shortly after 12:30 ET on January 6, according to the committee, minutes before Pence voted at the joint session of Congress at 13:30 ET – and the rebels began violating the Capitol to violate certification.
Chairman Benny Thompson says the commission has “not yet” contacted Johnson amid revelations about his involvement in the fraudulent voter scheme.
“The commission has not decided whether to call him to testify,” Thompson said.
Asked if the fraudulent voter scheme was criminal, the Mississippi Democrat said: “We are just presenting the facts.”
CNN’s Manu Raju and Morgan Reamer contributed to this report.
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