It's true! I am running for State Senate District 12! I'm hoping to continue the Maynes' work to represent our strong working families in the legislature. Check out my website https://brettgarner.org/ for a complete list of issue positions and my bio. #utpol #utleg

RT @reedgalen@twitter.com

Never forget it was @SenMikeLee@twitter.com who pointed both Sidney "The Kraken" Powell and John Eastman to the White House. He's a seditionist who has no business being in a position of public trust. #utpol https://twitter.com/DebateState/status/1610660721402204164

🐦🔗: https://twitter.com/reedgalen/status/1611387593127755777

RT @SchottHappens@twitter.com

19/ Lee claims his vote to certify Biden's win on Jan. 6 exonerates him in the plot to overturn Trump's election loss.

His text messages with Mitchell show he was ready to try and throw out the results, but only stopped when it became clear his plan wouldn't work #utpol

🐦🔗: https://twitter.com/SchottHappens/status/1608897714443649024

RT @SchottHappens@twitter.com

18/ Remember, Lee texted Mark Meadows on Jan. 4 saying he had been spending "14 hours a day" calling legislators in several states trying to find a way to object to certifying Biden as the winner on Jan. 6 #utpol

https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2022/04/15/please-tell-me-what-i/

🐦🔗: https://twitter.com/SchottHappens/status/1608897712216502273

RT @SchottHappens@twitter.com

17/ That text message to Mitchell shows Lee was 100% on board with a plan to object to Biden's win if a court had determined fraud impacted the 2020 election or if states had appointed alternate slates of electors #utpol

🐦🔗: https://twitter.com/SchottHappens/status/1608897710563954690

RT @SchottHappens@twitter.com

16/ The texts show Lee was worried about raising an objection without a competing slate of electors.

"I had somehow thought you and I agreed that we'd need something like a judgment from a court of competent jurisdiction or a decision by a state legislature" #utpol

🐦🔗: https://twitter.com/SchottHappens/status/1608897707342729217

RT @SchottHappens@twitter.com

15/ Later on Dec. 30, Lee asks Mitchell how the plan to object to electors without a competing slate would work.

Mitchell says they never got their day in court. Lee says they'll have to make that argument "formally and publicly," which shows he was entertaining the idea #utpol

🐦🔗: https://twitter.com/SchottHappens/status/1608897703739817985

RT @SchottHappens@twitter.com

14/ What was the "January 6 strategy" Lee referred to?

Mitchell says it was to have Congress reject electors.

Lee claims he was just "investigating rumors" of competing electors. Mitchell's testimony demonstrates Lee was not being truthful #utpol

🐦🔗: https://twitter.com/SchottHappens/status/1608897700560539649

RT @SchottHappens@twitter.com

13/ 🚨🚨🚨 Lee tells Mitchell Jan. 6 is a "dangerous idea, not just for the Republic itself, but also for the President."

He then says if they could hold a hearing "it might obviate the need for a January 6 strategy" #utpol

🐦🔗: https://twitter.com/SchottHappens/status/1608897697611939840

RT @SchottHappens@twitter.com

12/ On Dec. 30, Mitchell asks Sen. Lee if the Senate could conduct a hearing into claims of election fraud in Georgia.

Lee replies, "Let me see what I can arrange."

Mitchell was part of the phone call where Trump pressured Georgia election officials to find 11,780 votes #utpol

🐦🔗: https://twitter.com/SchottHappens/status/1608897694466211840

RT @SchottHappens@twitter.com

11/ 🚨🚨WHOA!

Mitchell is asked about an email exchange with Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, where he asks about the alternate elector scheme.

Mitchell says the whole thing was "actually Mike Lee's idea" #utpol

🐦🔗: https://twitter.com/SchottHappens/status/1608897691848945665

RT @SchottHappens@twitter.com

10/ On Dec. 9, Lee texted Mitchell, "Is there any chance we will see competing slates of electors named in some states?"

She tells him to call WH chief of staff Mark Meadows, to which Lee replies, "He's told me yesterday he's working on it" #utpol

🐦🔗: https://twitter.com/SchottHappens/status/1608897688824872960

RT @SchottHappens@twitter.com

9/ Mitchell is asked repeatedly about efforts by the White House to organize competing slates of electors.

She ultimately concedes that the effort was to satisfy objections raised by Sena. Lee and others #utpol

🐦🔗: https://twitter.com/SchottHappens/status/1608897685033226240

RT @SchottHappens@twitter.com

8/ Lee was clearly brainstorming ways to convince his colleagues to object to certifying Biden's win on Jan. 6.

Lee believed there had to be competing electors in order to raise an objection, but Mitchell argued that wasn't the case #utpol

🐦🔗: https://twitter.com/SchottHappens/status/1608897682118152192

In the 2000s, it was usually the 2nd Congressional District; in the 2010s, it was the 4th; and in 2022 it was clearly the US Senate race. But even then they focus too much on horserace polls and not enough on where the candidates stand on a variety of issues. Journalists can help by focusing on what politicians are doing and proposing instead of acting as stenographers for press releases. #utpol

Instead of dignity, what we need more in Utah is accountability in our political system. The news media is doing an admirable job in this regard, but the reduction of coverage since the 2000s is remarkable. For the most part, the major news outlets seem content in giving the vast amount of coverage to one seemingly competitive race each election cycle, and then giving perfunctory one-story profiles for most other races. #utpol

No better example of this was, again, Burgess Owens’ absence from the debate stage, but the Dignity Index still “scored” his unopposed video release as if it was the same as the other debates, showing contempt for their very idea of “dignity". Clearly, the Dignity Index is far away from prime-time in the 2024 presidential race. #utpol

What could be done better? For one, the Commission should dissolve, and news and community organizations should go back to sponsoring their own debates. In 2006, when I managed the campaign for Pete Ashdown for US Senate, he debated Orrin Hatch on KUTV, KTVX, KSL, KBYU, KCSG, and the Salt Lake Rotary Club (which was recorded for KUED broadcast), with a variety of moderators and questioners. In 2022, the US Senate debate barely got on three stations. #UTPol

It was pretty unbelieveable to pick the Tribune’s editor as the moderator of the 4th District debate after Owens had boycotted the paper’s coverage (disingenuously, for sure, but a real issue), and then be surprised when he decided to make himself into a victim again. They held all the debates much too late and with much too little station coverage for it to make a difference in any race. Finally, they clearly got played by the Lee campaign in ticket distribution. #UTPol

I originally intended it to be an analysis of 3 failed institutions during the 2022 cycle: Utah Debate Commission, The Dignity Index and UDP However, I found that my #utdem thoughts would exceed the Trib’s 600 word commentary limit. Here's what I cut from the op-ed: #utpol
The Utah Debate Commission was an exercise in futility this year, even more so than previous years. They failed to hold primary debates for the Republican party.