Missouri Senator Josh Hawley has announced that he will contest the electoral college vote certifying the results of the general election. Hawley's actions will trigger a vote to certify November's results in the Senate and House of Representatives.
“I cannot vote to certify the electoral college results on January 6 without raising the fact that some states, particularly Pennsylvania, failed to follow their own state election laws," Hawley said.
"And I cannot vote to certify without pointing out the unprecedented effort of mega-corporations, including Facebook and Twitter, to interfere in this election, in support of Joe Biden. At the very least, Congress should investigate allegations of voter fraud and adopt measures to secure the integrity of our elections. But Congress has so far failed to act."
Hawley is the first Senator to join Rep. Mo Brooks' campaign to overturn the results of the general election featuring Donald Trump and Joe Biden. In order for the campaign to move forward, Hawley must contest the counting of electoral college votes on January 6. With support from members in the House and Senate, both congressional bodies must debate whether to uphold the election results for up to two hours.
Despite pressure from the President and members of the House, it is unlikely that the results of the election will be overturned.
"I mean, in the Senate, it would ... go down like a shot dog," Republican Senator John Thune said.
"I just don't think it makes a lot of sense to put everybody through this when you know what the ultimate outcome is going to be."
Hawley is expected to officially contest the results of the electoral college vote on January 6. The two-hour debate and subsequent vote will follow.
President Donald Trump has yet to comment on this most recent development.