Pennsylvania Capital-Star: “Saying his cause had ‘been weakened and diminished,’ a Republican state lawmaker behind an Arizona-style investigation of Pennsylvania’s election results has pressed pause on the probe. The announcement from state Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-Franklin, came during a Thursday morning Facebook live stream before an audience of more than 1,000 supporters. Mastriano, a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump, announced plans to pursue a ‘forensic investigation’ into Pennsylvania’s 2020 general and 2021 primary elections in July. He made a sweeping request for voting equipment and election information from York, Tioga, and Philadelphia counties. However, the three counties – two of them reliably Republican areas, and one Democratic stronghold – refused to comply, citing the cost of replacing election equipment and a directive from the Department of State prohibiting third-party access to voting machines.”

“In July, Mastriano said he wasn’t surprised the local governing boards for the counties declined to participate. He told Chambersburg-based News Talk radio host Pat Ryan that subpoenas would have the counties added legal protection. At the time, Mastriano, who chairs the Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee, a seldom-used committee that typically does not oversee election issues, said the 10-member panel would meet in one to two weeks to vote on issuing subpoenas. But on Thursday, Mastriano, without offering evidence or specific details, told followers: ‘The powers-that-be made sure that didn’t happen.’ ‘We’re not in a very good spot right now,’ he said. ‘I put my name out there to get it done, and I’ve been stopped for the time being. If there’s a way I could do it without being stopped, a way around this momentary impediment, you know I would find it.'”