Senate Republicans pay Iowa firm $270K to investigate Pennsylvania elections

By Victor Skinner | The Center Square contributor

HARRISBURG, PA – Pennsylvania Senate Republicans have agreed to pay an Iowa consulting firm up to $270,000 to investigate the results of the 2020 election, despite a promise to hold off until related legal matters are settled in court.

Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee Chair Cris Dush, R-Brookville, announced the committee will contract with the Dubuque, Iowa-based consulting firm Envoy Sage to conduct an investigation into the 2020 election and 2021 primary election. The contract, worth up to $270,000 over the next six months, will be paid out of Republican caucus funds, which are taxpayer dollars.

“I am thrilled to announce the selection of such a highly competent, impartial, and experienced vendor that is committed to a fair and thorough investigation of Pennsylvania’s elections,” Dush wrote Friday in a prepared statement. “As a service-disabled veteran-owned small business specializing in research, investigation, program management, and communications, I believe they are uniquely qualified to complete this investigation in a way that will help to restore Pennsylvanians’ faith in our election system and data.”

The investigation stems from allegations of fraud and irregularities in the 2020 election, mostly from supporters of former President Donald Trump, who lost the state by more than 80,000 votes.

The probe follows a related subpoena seeking voter data from the intergovernmental committee to Gov. Tom Wolf. It is awaiting a Dec. 15 hearing in Commonwealth Court.

Jason Thompson, spokesperson for Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman, R-Centre, told the Capital-Star last month the committee wouldn’t move forward with the contract until after the court proceedings.

Democrats on the 11-members committee have decried the investigation as a partisan “witch hunt” and complained they have been shut out of the process for selecting the firm. Democrats pointed to promises on a special website set up by the committee, which vows a “responsible, thoughtful, and transparent” investigation.

“This is a bad faith action by the Senate Republican Caucus,” Sen. Jay Costa, D-Pittsburgh, said. “They agreed to wait, and then went ahead with hiring their own firm to carry out this political, unnecessary and costly witch hunt. They’ve unilaterally and prematurely acted to spend more than $250,000 in taxpayer money for this.”