In an off-the-rails rant, Wisconsin Republican Senator Ron Johnson personally attacked Democrat Gary Peters during a Homeland Security Committee meeting during which Ken Starr was testifying about fraud in the 2020 election.

https://youtu.be/k-E43s1d-Lk

“I just have to point out that the purveyors of Russian disinformation,” Johnson ranted, gesturing over toward Peters, “Hillary Clinton’s campaign, the DNC, the Steele dossier.  The Ranking Member Peters accusing Senator Grassley and I of disseminating Russian disinformation–that’s where the disinformation is coming.  That’s the false information, the lies, the false allegations.  I can’t sit by here and listen to this and say this, this is not disinformation at this hearing today.”

Johnson continued on to claim that the widely debunked information about election is worthy of a Senate hearing, when multiple Courts and judges, including the US Supreme Court, have found no basis in the claims.

“Mr. Chairman,” Peters interrupted, “I’ve got to respond to that.”

“TRY!” Johnson bellowed back, childishly.

Peters tried to inject facts into the discussion, but was almost immediately shouted down by Johnson who, like other Republicans on the panel, refused to wear a mask during the coronavirus pandemic.

“Mr. Chairman,” Peters continued after a Johnson rant, “this is not about airing your grievances.  I don’t know what rabbit hole you’re running down right now–” Again, Johnson shouted, interrupting Peters.

“Mr. Chairman, you can’t make such false allegations and then drop it there,” Peters said as Johnson repeated banged his gavel.  “That is why this committee needs to return–”

“Senator Paul!” Johnson yelled, trying to get Rand Paul to start questioning Starr.

“–to nonpartisan things,” Peters continued.  “This is terrible, what you’re doing to this committee, and all the great work you’ve talked about–”

“It is what YOU have done to this committee,” Johnson whined.  “Falsely accusing the chairman of spreading disinformation.  Nothing could have been further from the truth and you’re spouting it again, which is why *I* had to respond.”

“Oh, come on!” Peters responded.

Paul then started his questioning, during which Peters said exasperated, “Oh, my God.”

Sens. Johnson and Grassley produced an independent report, without committee backing and without thorough investigation, supporting claims about a laptop that Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani said, without evidence, contained information into Hunter Biden’s dealing with Ukraine.

Many foreign intelligence experts have stated that the provenance of the laptop is dubious, as is the information on it, giving the claim the character of a Russian intelligence smear campaign.  There has been no corroboration of the information Giuliani claimed to find on the laptop, and the laptop has been dismissed by federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies, as well as members of the media.

Ron Johnson was one of a number of Republican politicians who celebrated Independence Day in Moscow in 2018.