Ron Johnson called out by CNN host for baseless election fraud claims

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Wisconsin Republican Senator Ron Johnson was called out on CNN after pushing baseless claims about Democrats having taken similar actions to Republicans who put forward fake electors in 2020.

On Monday night, Mr Johnson was asked about Republicans in Wisconsin who falsely claimed that they were electors for then-President Donald Trump in the 2020 election.

The senator responded by claiming that Democrats have done the same thing “repeatedly in all kinds of different states,” but when asked to provide an example, he was unable to do so, simply telling anchor Kaitlann Collins to “check the books”.

Ms Collins noted that 10 members of the GOP in Mr Johnson’s home state settled a lawsuit last week which was filed by the real electors from Wisconsin, seeking $200,000 per elector in damages. No fine was imposed, but each of them admitted that President Joe Biden won the 2020 election, The Daily Beast noted. In addition, they all agreed to not serve as an elector in 2024 and that because of their actions in 2020, they had taken part in an “attempt to improperly overturn” the election.

One of the electors will stay on the Wisconsin nonpartisan elections commission. Republican State Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu said on Monday that he wouldn’t go back on his appointment of Bob Spindell.

Mr Johnson was asked on CNN if he backed the calls for Mr Spindell to go.

“No – again, there was an active court case. There were all kinds of irregularities in Wisconsin in the 2020 election,” he said. “In order to make sure that the case just wasn’t determined to be moot, they had to have an ultimate slate of electors, just like Democrats have done repeatedly in all kinds of different states.”

“There is nothing untoward about what they did. There is nothing illegal about what they did. They are just an alternate slate of electors,” he claimed before going on to argue that the Democrats were weaponizing the court to “harass these poor individuals”.

He then claimed again that the Republicans “did nothing different than what many Democrats have done in many states”.

Ms Collins noted that there “were multiple slates of fake electors, including in your home state. They’re acknowledging that they were playing a role in trying to improperly overturn the election. That’s what they said”.

But Mr Johnson continued to claim that Democrats have done the same thing, but when asked, he was unable to cite any specific examples.

“I’m not prepared to give you the exact states, but it’s happened repeatedly. It has happened repeatedly. Just go check the books,” he said.

After being pressed for specifics again, Mr Johnson said the follow-up questions were inappropriate.

“There have been alternate slates of electors by Democrat electors in our history ... this wasn’t what this interview was going to be about,” he complained. “I’ll come and I’ll provide you the information, but I’m absolutely certain about that.”