- Ron Johnson says he "knew nothing about" Trump's fake electors scheme on Jan. 6.
- "I think I fielded three texts and sent two," he said of his engagement in overturning the election.
Republican Sen. Ron Johnson said talking to the January 6 select committee about the slate of fake electors his office was supposed to hand Vice President Mike Pence in order to help overturn the 2020 election would be a waste of time because he was only involved in the scheme for "a couple of seconds."
—David Edwards (@DavidEdwards) August 21, 2022
"I think I fielded three texts, and sent two, and talked to my chief of staff that somebody wants you to deliver something," Johnson told local ABC 12 during an interview in Wisconsin, adding, "I knew nothing about it."
Johnson has been battling allegations that he participated in former President Donald Trump's plan to subvert his loss to Joe Biden by throwing MAGA-aligned fake electors into the vote certification effort Vice President Mike Pence was overseeing ever since investigators looking into the deadly siege at the US Capitol revealed text messages Johnson chief of staff Sean Riley sent Pence legislative director Chris Hodgson seeking to connect the two.
"Do not give that to him," Hodgson fired back, instructing Riley to keep the alternate slate of electors from the battleground states of Michigan and Wisconsin away from Pence just minutes before Trump supporters stormed the building. Johnson later said he got the fake electors from the office of Republican. Rep. Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania.
Johnson, who is seeking a third term this fall and is trailing Democratic challenger Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes in recent polls, said there's been a "grotesque distortion" about the entire affair by investigators pursuing "some massive conspiracy."
"I had virtually no involvement," Johnson said. "My involvement lasted seconds."