North Carolina Republicans are trying to erase the effects of and their role in the insurrection at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, even as one of their own — Sen. Steinburg — continues to repeat lies that the 2020 election was stolen after other legislative Republicans repeated dangerous lies about the election results.

WRAL reports that in a video posted on Inauguration Day, Sen. Steinburg says: “I, like many of you, probably 75 million or more of you, who do not believe that Joe Biden actually was elected.” In another post, Steinburg writes: “Our new President is sadly a crook and at least 75 million (likely more) Americans agree. This election was stolen – no one – no one will ever convince me otherwise.”

Since Wednesday, Steinburg has continued to share articlesthat feed into the lie that the election was not legitimate. And even after the nation has witnessed the dangerous effect these lies have on our democracy, his Republican colleagues remain “largely silent.”

Sen. Steinburg isn’t the only one who has perpetuated election fraud lies. Shortly after the election, Moore tweeted a photo, in which he is posing next to a “Fraud Squad” poster, showing that he had traveled to Pennsylvania to support the President’s efforts to overturn the election results. Rep. Hastings is also pictured holding a “Stop the Steal” sign – the slogan used by Republicans to incite the insurrectionists.

Many other Republicans legislators have repeated election fraud lies that attempt to undermine the democratic process. Their language and behavior reflects the same sentiments that helped incite the violent insurrection at the Capitol earlier this month.

• Sen. Perry said he supported objections to the election results and that it was “undisputed fact” that “multiple states did not follow their laws for elections.”

• Rep. Clampitt posted a graphic of “Patriot Party of the United States of America.”

• Rep. Kidwell posted a graphic encouraging people to switch from Twitter to the far-right messaging platform Parler.

• Rep. Zenger posted a Thomas Paine quote from 1776  on the day of the insurrection, saying “[t]hese are the times that try men’s souls.”

• Rep. Pittman posted on November 6 about “Democrat efforts to steal this election.”

“Republicans’ silence on the dangerous election fraud lies still being perpetuated by their colleagues speaks volumes,” said Kate Frauenfelder, a spokeswoman for the North Carolina Democratic Party.“They have not only failed to speak up and hold their colleagues accountable, but failed to stand up for the people of North Carolina and our democracy.”

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