On Wednesday, PA GOP Legislators attempted to push forward with their plan, at this late date, to proceed with an audit of the 2020 presidential election. Inspired, somehow, by the chaotic and thus far unsuccessful “fraudit” that’s been going on in Arizona for months now, the Republican-controlled Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee voted to subpoena election records from Tom Wolf’s administration. Among the information about voters they’d like to see: their driver’s license number and the last four digits of their Social Security number, and whether they voted by mail or in-person.
The hearing, you might expect, was contentious. During the proceedings, Bucks’ own PA SD-10 Senator Steve Santarsiero and others pushed back. From Better PA’s live-tweet of the hearing, which is worth a read in full:
Nevertheless, the Committee voted along party lines and the subpoena was ordered. But it’s not that simple. For one, much of the data they want is already publicly available; for two, the subpoena is likely unenforceable anyway:
Pennsylvania law prohibits the public release of a voter’s driver’s license number and Social Security number, and Senate Democrats said they will go to court within days to contend that the demand violates the separation of powers and the authority of lawmakers.
It’s not clear whether Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration will provide the information or can be forced to produce it, even by court order. The Senate subpoena gives a deadline of Oct. 1.
The majority of the information being requested is already available to the public, said Attorney General Josh Shapiro, a Democrat.
The Wolf administration has until October 1 to respond.
