The night before the anniversary of a storming the U.S. Capitol, one of the main peddlers of the so-called 鈥渂ig lie鈥� is scheduled to be in Missouri.
Rep. Ann Kelley, R-Lamar, sent out invitations late last month for a dinner in Jefferson City with Douglas Frank, a high school math teacher from Ohio who claims he discovered secret algorithms used to rig the 2020 election.
According to the invitation, which was , the dinner will take place Wednesday, though the exact location is being withheld for 鈥渟afety reasons.鈥�
鈥淒r. Douglas Frank is looking forward to this great evening in Jefferson City with distinguished Missourians,鈥� the invitation says. 鈥淕et to know the man behind the election data.鈥�
Frank鈥檚 claims of a secret algorithm, along with other myths seeking to undermine President Joe Biden鈥檚 2020 victory, . But that hasn鈥檛 stopped many adherents of the lie from latching on to his work.
Nor has it stopped Frank from gaining an audience with GOP elected officials from around the country.
That includes Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, who has consistently said he .
that Frank claims he 鈥渘egotiated a deal鈥� in which Ashcroft 鈥渁greed to take up the cause if we brought him 100 phantom voters.鈥�
JoDonn Cherry, Ashcroft鈥檚 spokesman, said in an email to The Independent that he is 鈥渘ot aware of any 鈥榥egotiated deal鈥� between the secretary and Douglas Frank and there is nothing on his calendar indicating a meeting between the two in the upcoming days.鈥�
While Ashcroft and Frank have spoken previously, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 have any further information regarding conversation details, when, how many times or if they will meet again,鈥� Cherry wrote.
鈥淎s you know, the secretary is always happy to listen and talk with anyone, regardless of viewpoint, who has concerns or comments regarding election integrity and security as it pertains to Missouri elections,鈥� Cherry said. 鈥淭he secretary is committed to accessible, safe, secure elections with timely results that people can trust.鈥�
Asked about her connection to Frank, Kelley she has served as his 鈥渃hauffeur a couple of times when he鈥檚 been in Missouri.鈥�
Earlier this year, Kelleyabout attending a symposium in South Dakota organized by MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, who has said that the election was stolen from former President Donald Trump.
Frank鈥檚 visit also corresponds with the first day of the 2022 Missouri legislative session. Kelley is sponsoring a wide-ranging bill that, among other provisions, creates an 鈥溾�� to conduct post-election audits.
In the year since Trump supporters inspired by false allegations of election fraud breached the U.S. Capitol in an effort to stop Congress from certifying Biden鈥檚 victory, federal prosecutors who participated in the violence.
That figure includes 17 Missouri residents.
The first Missourian to be sentenced 鈥� 29-year-old Nicholas Burton Reimle, who received 36 months probation, $500 restitution and 60 hours community service 鈥� during a court hearing last month 鈥渢o the people of this country for threatening their democracy.鈥�
While audits conducted at the behest of those questioning the 2020 outcome have consistently found no evidence of widespread fraud, and disputed by Trump amounted to fewer than 475, the 鈥渂ig lie鈥� that the election was stolen remains a powerful force within GOP politics.
Look no further than Missouri鈥檚 heated race to .
Former Gov. Eric Greitens, who resigned in disgrace in 2018 to avoid impeachment and felony charges, has made for the GOP nomination.
Three days after the Jan. 6 insurrection, attorney Mark McCloskey tweeted, 鈥渢here is no question that the election was the result of massive fraud, there is no question that Donald Trump won the legitimate vote鈥︹��
Attorney General Eric Schmitt participated in lawsuits seeking to overturn the outcome of the presidential election, and a super PAC supporting him ran a web ad that included footage of Trump claiming 鈥�.鈥�
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