Pennsylvania state senator hopes to issue election subpoenas within two weeks

Pennsylvania state senator Doug Mastriano (R) who wants to have the committee he leads force three counties to turn over election machines, ballots, and related material says subpoenas could be issued in the next two weeks.

“Obviously I can’t operate on my own, so I have a committee, so the committee will have a vote, hopefully in the next week or two that will authorize the committee, and me as their chair, to send the subpoenas to three counties,” Mastriano said.

“It’s going to be a big package, actually,” he said regarding the subpoenas. “We’re going to look at the hard copy ballots. Thank God in Pennsylvania we do require a hard copy of ballots. We’ll look at the ballots and anything associated with the hard copy ballots, and then we’ll also be asking for the equipment, any voting equipment that was used, or routers, will be also part of that subpoena.”

Mastriano said Tuesday he’s working on a broad subpoena to York, Tioga, and Philadelphia counties. The voluntary compliance deadlines given to the counties have expired.

Officials in Tioga and Philadelphia counties have said no to the request, and officials in York have raised concerns with the request but have not directly turned the senator down.

Mastriano said Tuesday that subpoenas would give the counties “legal coverage” but added they might end up in court. He said he expects to win if the question is whether he and the committee have that authority.

“If the challenge becomes something else, obviously that will drag out in court. So a judge in the end will have to decide any debates that we have between the counties and myself,” Mastriano said.

Senate Republican leadership hasn’t said if they are behind Mastriano’s plans to have the Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee issue subpoenas for the information and equipment.

The Independent Chronicle contacted Senator Mastriano’s office for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

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