Democratic State Senator Vincent Hughes was ruled “out of order” by Cris Dush, the Republican Chair of the Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee. The Committee is running what they call a “Forensic Audit” of the 2020 Presidential Election in Pennsylvania.
So far, Fulton County Commissioner, Stuart Ulsh, has been the only witness called to testify for the “Audit.” Hughes wanted to call attention to Ulsh’s apparent interest in overturning the result of the 2020 Election.
A November 9, 2020 email from Ulsh’s private account to fellow commissioner Randy Bunch and Senator Judy Ward says – The people are asking who all is in this fight with Senator Mastriano.” But, he continued, It couldn’t hurt the Trump campaign if our state Representatives all got involved. If we don’t stop this election, the problems next will be worse. If there were 109 houses and 27 senates with Senator Mastriano, it would be a big help. The people need this. Respect their vote.
Watch @SenatorHughes use our reporting at today's sham hearing and confront Fulton County Commissioner Stuart Ulsh about an email he sent asking committee members to overturn the 2020 election.
— PA Spotlight (@PA_Spotlight) September 9, 2021
Senator Cris Dush then ended the questioning. pic.twitter.com/rnRZsCI20f
Dush insisted that Hughes was taking the hearing onto a “divergent track.” Without addressing Hughes’ comment that All of this relates. But I guess in the end, since the report indicated that there was no fraudulent voting that occurred in Fulton County, I guess it’s not an issue,” Dush chose to reiterate that “We have invited the Secretary of State to be here to answer to these questions and others. But, unfortunately, the Department of State has refused to participate in this.
AP reported that – The commissioner drew particularly sharp questioning from Democrats because Fulton County — in cooperation with Trump allies — allowed a software firm to inspect its voting machines as part of an “audit” after the 2020 election.
Acting Secretary of State Veronica Degraffenreid decertified Fulton County’s voting machines because Fulton County had supposedly violated the state election code when it gave a third-party access to certified election equipment.
AP also noted that – Democrats questioned Ulsh repeatedly about who paid for the audit. Ulsh said he didn’t know, only that taxpayers did not pay for it. Democrats on the panel asked him to find out and provide the answer.