Johnson now says he helped coordinate effort to get false slates to Pence as Jan. 6 hearing continues

Ron Johnson now says he helped coordinate an effort to pass false elector slates to Pence

• After initially claiming to be "basically unaware" of an effort by his staff to get fake presidential elector documents to Vice President Mike Pence, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson said Thursday he coordinated with a Wisconsin attorney to pass along such information.

• He said in a Thursday interview on WIBA-AM that he had since discovered the documents came from Pennsylvania U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, and acknowledged he coordinated with Dane County attorney Jim Troupis and his chief of staff by text message that morning to get to Pence a document Troupis described as regarding "Wisconsin electors."

• Kelly's office immediately pushed back on Johnson's claim, saying: "Senator Johnson's statements about Representative Kelly are patently false." "Mr. Kelly has not spoken to Sen. Johnson for the better part of a decade, and he has no knowledge of the claims Mr. Johnson is making related to the 2020 election."

'Just say it was corrupt,' Trump told DOJ officials about 2020 election

• Richard Donoghue, the former acting deputy attorney general, testified at the Jan. 6 hearing Thursday that Trump remained fixated on the same theme: "Just say it was corrupt and leave the rest to me and the Republican congressmen."

• Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Clark drafted a letter urging officials in six states won by Joe Biden - including Wisconsin - to submit alternate slates of electors favoring Trump, a strategy other administration lawyers rejected as "asinine" and potentially criminal. Clark refused to answer committee questions by citing his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

• At least five House Republicans sought pardons from President Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack, White House officials told the Jan. 6 committee. The GOP lawmakers – Mo Brooks of Alabama, Matt Gaetz of Florida, Andy Biggs of Arizona, Louie Gohmert of Texas, and Scott Perry of Pennsylvania – have denied wrongdoing and accused the committee of playing politics.

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The Money

COAL: We Energies and Alliant Energy coal plants in Wisconsin will stay open longer due to energy supply fears.

EAST SIDE: Av east side street near Crossroads Collective shut down for the Summer Soulstice Music Fest. Should it become a permanent public plaza?

The Fun Stuff

SUMMERFEST: Is it really the world's largest music festival?

WEEKEND: 6 things to do in Milwaukee this weekend (besides going to Summerfest).

The Games

JOHNNY DAVIS: The Badgers' star is taken 10th overall in the NBA draft by the Washington Wizards. He's the first Badger selected since 2015 when Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker were both taken in the first round.

BREWERS: The Brewers take the final game of a four-game set with the Cardinals to split the series and remain tied for first with St. Louis.

BUCKS: The Milwaukee Bucks made MarJon Beauchamp out of the Ignite of the G League the No. 24 overall pick in Thursday night’s NBA Draft. Beauchamp is the first first-round pick Bucks general manager Jon Horst has made since selecting Donte DiVincenzo at No. 17 overall in 2018.

PATRICK BALDWIN JR.: The champion Golden State Warriors take a chance on UWM's Patrick Baldwin Jr. with the No. 28 pick in the NBA draft,

Today's Weather

Another hot one - sunny and 90.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Johnson says he helped coordinate effort to get false slates to Pence