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Ex-Michigan GOP Chair Recalls Plot to Hide Republican Electors in State Capitol

“I told him in no uncertain terms that, that was insane and inappropriate,” Laura Cox said

Laura Cox
Rey Del Rio/Getty Images

Laura Cox, the former leader of Michigan’s Republican Party, testified of a plot to have fake Republican electors hide in the state Capitol overnight so they could fulfill state law requiring electoral votes to be cast in the building.

In video of her testimony from a deposition by Jan. 6 committee investigators earlier this year, Cox recalled a conversation with a man who told her he was working with Trump’s re-election campaign.

“He told me that the Michigan Republican electors were planning to meet in the Capitol and hide overnight so that they could fulfill the role of casting their vote in the Michigan chambers," Cox said.

“I told him in no uncertain terms that, that was insane and inappropriate,” Cox said.

The committee also displayed text messages it obtained that shows Sean Riley, a top aide to Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., sought to send a slate of fake Wisconsin and Michigan electors to Vice President Mike Pence just after noon on Jan. 6, 2021.

Riley texted Chris Hodgson, Pence's director of legislative affairs, saying "Johnson needs to hand something to VPOTUS please advise."

Hodgson asked: "What is it?"

Riley responded: "Alternative slate of electors for MI and WI because archivist didn't receive them."

Hodgson replied: "Do not give that to him."

The Jan. 6 committee played audio of Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis, two of Trump’s lawyers, calling state legislators and pressing them to overturn the election.

This is a live update. Click here for complete coverage of the Jan. 6 hearings.

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