Hagedorn sticks by Trump, objects to Electoral College count
Southern Minnesota Congressman Jim Hagedorn voted to object to counting the Electoral College votes from two states Wednesday, loyally sticking by President Trump’s false and dangerous narrative of widespread election fraud.
Hagedorn, a Republican who won re-election in November, objected to the counting of Electoral College votes from Arizona and Pennsylvania, two battleground states won narrowly by President-elect Joe Biden in November. A majority of the GOP House caucus voted to object to counting Arizona’s votes, mere hours after pro-Trump insurrectionists became the first invaders since the British in 1814 to successfully compromise the U.S. Capitol building.
In a statement released early Thursday, Rep. Hagedorn continued to spread the narrative, peddling baseless claims that election officials in key battleground states ‘stole’ the election from the president. He added that he believed the integrity of the 2020 election had been “called into question,” recommending that a commission perform an “independent audit” of 2020 election results.
“My votes today are intended to encourage state legislatures to reclaim their authority and restore election integrity,” the statement reads. “Moving forward, Electoral College inequities must be addressed in a timely fashion by state legislatures, and, when necessary, the U.S. Supreme Court.”
Rep. Hagedorn was one of two Minnesota representatives to stand by the president’s pipe dream after mobs of his supporters successfully infiltrated the U.S. Capitol — newly-minted Rep. Michelle Fischbach (MN-7) was the other.
Both House GOP-led efforts to invalidate the democratic process failed in the Senate, however, and President-elect Biden’s victory was certified by Congress early Thursday morning. It’s been reported that President Trump has committed to an orderly transition of power on January 20.
Isaac Jahns is a Rochester native and a 2019 graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism. He reports on politics, business and music for Med City Beat.
Cover photo: Hagedorn in 2019 / William Forsman
