Democrat-led House January 6 committee subpoenas Trump's alternate electors

The Democrat-led House Jan. 6 committee Friday subpoenaed 14 individuals whom the panel called "alternate electors" for President Trump in the 2020 presidential election. 

The individuals are from seven states in which Trump had alternate slates of electors: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, New Mexico, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. 

"The Select Committee is seeking information about attempts in multiple states to overturn the results of the 2020 election, including the planning and coordination of efforts to send false slates of electors to the National Archives," committee Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), said in a statement.

"We believe the individuals we have subpoenaed today have information about how these so-called alternate electors met and who was behind that scheme. We encourage them to cooperate with the Select Committee's investigation to get answers about January 6th for the American people and help ensure nothing like that day ever happens again." 

On Dec. 14, 2020, the same day that the Electoral College votes were cast, the alternate electors also met. 

"Your delegation of purported electors for former President Trump and former Vice President Pence then sent an alleged 'Certificate of the Votes' of the purported electors to Congress for consideration by former Vice President Pence, in his role as President of the Senate, during the Joint Session of Congress on January 6, 2021," said Thompson's letter to one of the alternate electors.

"The existence of these purported alternate-elector votes was used as a justification to delay or block the certification of the election during the Joint Session of Congress on January 6, 2021."

By law, the National Archives is responsible for receiving all certified results from the states and passing them on to Congress to be counted on Jan. 6. The archives also received the alternative slates from Republicans, but didn’t transmit them to Congress since the federal Electoral Count Act prohibits them from sending those not certified by the states.