Harrisburg, PA, January 2, 2023 – Senator Art Haywood (D-4) hosted a press conference to announce his intent to file an ethics complaint against PA State Senator Doug Mastriano (R-33) for his involvement in the effort to delegitimize and discredit the 2020 presidential election results.
Senator Haywood was joined by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). This organization takes bold legal action and in-depth investigations of government officials who sacrifice the common good for special interest and/or personal gain.
Based upon the public record, Senator Mastriano:
- Used the prominence and reputation of The PA Senate and his office as a State Senator to conduct a hearing at which advisors of the Former President gave unsworn testimony. This testimony has since been proven false.
- Organized and appeared in various rallies with state and federal officials to disseminate false information to promote the idea that the 2020 presidential vote was illegitimate and should be overturned.
- Ahead of January 6, 2021, personally led a board-based effort to coerce, pressure, and intimidate government officials at all levels to overturn the election results in Pennsylvania.
- Participated in the violent assembly of individuals on January 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol. This assembly, incited by Former President Trump, breached police barricades in violation of the law and resulted in the storming of the U.S. Capitol Building with the expressed purpose of preventing the counting and certification of the Electoral College Vote.
“All three branches of the federal government have referred to the events of January 6, 2021, as an ‘insurrection’ and the participants as ‘insurrectionists,’ including bipartisan majorities of both Houses of Congress, President Biden, the Department of Justice, and more than a dozen federal courts,” says Senator Haywood.
Senator Haywood continues, “I have complete faith in the ethics committee, once formed, to conduct a full investigation into this matter. I trust that the evidence gathered will lead them to a just and appropriate course of action.”
“The January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol was the culmination of an unprecedented and concerted effort to prevent the peaceful transition of power through illegal and violent means.” said Brie Sparkman, Policy Counsel at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, “CREW applauds Senator Haywood for introducing this ethics complaint against Senator Mastriano for his conduct leading up to and on January 6th. It is critical for not just the people of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, but also for democracy, that an investigation into Senator Mastriano’s conduct is initiated, and this ethics complaint will ensure just that. Only by holding insurrectionists accountable can we hope to prevent future attacks on the U.S. Capitol and in state capitals like Harrisburg. Accountability has always been a key defining feature of democracy, and it is now more crucial than ever.”
To access CREW’s report on this matter, click here.
For access video from today’s presser conference, click here.