Pennsylvania Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano on Friday took a hard line in working further with the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, threatening to sue if it doesn’t let him record the panel’s planned interview with him.
In a letter to Chairman Bennie Thompson, Mastriano’s lawyer said the panel withdrew its earlier OK to let the state senator and Trump-backed candidate record his interview, raising concerns that the Democrat-heavy committee might deceptively edit his answers to hurt his campaign to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf.
Not only did the committee change its mind, but it reacted by demanding Mastriano give in to a deposition on Tuesday, even though he had already handed the panel documents they wanted from him and talked with the FBI about renting buses to take Trump fans to Washington on Jan. 6, 2021.
“The committee had agreed to grant Sen. Mastriano an informal interview. Following recent hearings, we insisted on an audio recording to protect against deceptive editing by the committee. The committee has refused our request and is now requiring a sworn deposition on August 9,” said a statement from his lawyer, Timothy Parlatore.
The lawyer is giving the panel a choice: Either Mastriano will give into an interview if he can record the discussion, or if not, the committee can pound sand.
With the election nearing, he is concerned that the panel will try to undermine his campaign, so his lawyer said he is protecting himself.
“Sen. Mastriano has nothing to hide and is happy to answer the committee’s questions, but is concerned that through deceptive editing, the committee could attempt to influence the outcome of the 2022 Pennsylvania state election through the dissemination of disinformation. As long as we can agree to prophylactic measures to prevent such an occurrence, he is happy to proceed with the voluntary interview,” said the statement provided to Secrets.
In the letter shown below, Parlatore added, “Members of your party like Sean Patrick Maloney, Democratic Campaign Chair, have openly admitted that the goal of the hearings you are conducting is intended to paint the Republican party as irresponsible and power hungry ahead of the midterms. For this reason, my client has legitimate concerns that your committee may attempt to influence the outcome of the Pennsylvania state elections through the dissemination of disinformation.”
Parlatore, who has questioned the legitimacy of the one-sided panel, gave his own deadline. He said that if the panel didn’t agree to the recording by the deposition deadline, he would file suit to protect Mastriano, who paid for busloads of Trump supporters to join in the president’s Jan. 6 rally on the Ellipse and who went to the Capitol grounds after that rally.
“Unless Chairman Bennie Thompson agrees to our request by that time, we will be forced to pursue litigation. As the letter points out, the committee lacks authority to conduct a sworn deposition because they are not in compliance with the rules of the House of Representatives,” he said.
Mastriano blew away his competition in the GOP primary with Trump’s help and is facing Democrat Josh Shapiro in the fall election. He has already cooperated with the panel.
