Keizertimes. (Salem, Or.) 1979-current, October 29, 2021, Page 6, Image 6

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    PAGE A6, KEIZERTIMES, OCTOBER 29, 2021
State Sen. Kim Thatcher signs letter
calling for election audit in 50 states
By JOEY CAPPELLETTI
For the Keizertimes
Earlier this month, state senator and
Keizer-resident Kim Thatcher joined 138
other Republican state legislators from
multiple states in signing a letter “to the
American people” that called for a 50-state
audit of the 2020 election.
“If every fraudulent claim in the 2020
election were allowed evidentiary hearings
by the courts or at least had meaningful
media coverage by curious journalists,
Americans would not have a reason to doubt
who is sitting in the Oval Offi ce,” Thatcher
wrote in an email to the Keizertimes.
“The doubt is enough of a reason to
audit our elections and preserve trust mov-
ing forward.”
Thatcher has served since 2014 as the
state senator for District 13, which encom-
passes Keizer, Newberg, St. Paul, Sherwood,
Wilsonville, King City and parts of four
brainfood
THATCHER
other cities. In 2020, she ran unsuccess-
fully against Shemia Fagan in the
Oregon secretary of state race.
After initially agreeing to
The doubt is enough
do a phone interview with the
Keizertimes to discuss the letter,
of a reason to audit
Thatcher canceled fi ve minutes
before the scheduled call and opted
our elections and
to instead send written answers.
preserve trust
“It is evident that there is a
coordinated eff ort to belittle any-
moving forward.
one who has questions about the
November 2020 election,” wrote
Thatcher. “This story will likely
be no diff erent and use typical
— KIM THATCHER, State Senator
media convention like ‘false’ and
‘disproven’ and I will be pleas-
antly surprised if that is not the
case.”
When asked if she believed there was
conducted by Cyber Ninjas, a fi rm that has
fraud in the 2016 election, Thatcher said
never conducted an election audit, after it
the claims that Donald Trump conspired
was ordered by the Republican majority in
with Russia have been "disproven."
the Arizona Senate.
Thatcher was joined by two other
The audit’s fi ndings were presented to
Oregon legislators, Sen. Dennis Linthicum
the Arizona Senate on Sept. 24 and found
(R-Klamath Falls) and state Rep. Lily
only small variations. Their fi ndings
Morgan (R-Grants Pass), in signing the par-
showed that Biden received an additional
tisan letter that was posted on social media
99 votes and Trump received 261 fewer
by Arizona state Sen. Wendy Rogers. The
votes than the offi cial election results
letter claimed that an audit of 2.1 million
reported.
ballots in Maricopa County earlier this year
“The auditor’s fi nal hand count - which
proved there was “a corrupted election”
quadruple-checked every single one of
and that all 50 states needed to be “foren-
the 2.1 million ballots - matches Maricopa
sically audited.” The letter also called for
County’s offi cial machine count. This is the
voter rolls to be scrubbed in every state.
most important and encouraging fi nding
In response to the letter's requests,
of the audit,” said Arizona Senate President
Fagan tweeted, "Not happening. Can
Karen Fann, who is a Republican.
confi rm."
Thatcher, however, said that the Cyber
The Maricopa County audit was
crossword
answers pg A21
splat
happens
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