Republican Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate (and persistent Uncle Fester cosplayer) Doug Mastriano has filed a pre-emptive lawsuit in federal court that would bar the House Select Committee investigating the January 6th Republican-led domestic terrorist attack on Congress from compelling him to testify, CNN reports.

Mastriano testified remotely in early August, but reportedly refused to answer questions and ended the session after around fifteen minutes.  He claims compelling his testimony is a political move designed to hurt his campaign and that the committee has no authority to compel a witness’s testimony.

“Because the Select Committee has absolutely no authority to conduct compelled depositions, Plaintiff was willing to sit for a voluntary interview,” the complaint states. “However, because Plaintiff is currently the Republican nominee for Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, he asked the Committee to agree to certain prophylactic measures that would ensure that his participation would not run the risk of improperly influencing the Pennsylvania state election.”

Mastriano not only attended the attack on the Capitol–although it appears he did not enter the building–he also used campaign funds to paid for buses of protesters to be driven down from Pennsylvania to Washington, DC.  Mastriano continues to question the legitimacy of the outcome of the 2020 election.