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Pennsylvania state senator Doug Mastriano claimed he left the Capitol before the riots got violent and he never passed police lines on January 6, but video and photographic evidence shows otherwise.
Mastriano's campaign chartered busses to bring people to DC for the rally, but he claimed he did not participate in the violence and he was no longer there when it broke out. Mastriano said he and his wife left the area of the demonstration "when it was apparent that this was no longer a peaceful protest."
Videos analyzed by the online group "Sedition Hunters" show not only were the Mastrianos still there when the barricades were breached, but they also ended up with a group on the northwest lawn.
You can view one of the videos showing the Republican lawmaker was still part of the crowd as the barricades are being torn down here:
Folks on Twitter were quick to point out Mastriano was still there when the police lines were breached.
Why wouldn't you think you should enter? Especially when you have #ZZTopPB opening the gates for you. \n#Mastriano #SenMastriano #SeditionHunters #SeditionHasConsequences \n\nhttps://www.instagram.com/p/CJwosuKhzok/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/glpME7ejpR— K2theSky (@K2theSky) 1621662861
This vid is showing the group now moving towards the East Steps. #Mastriano is visible at 0:04s You'll see the steps have not yet been breached. Parler timestamp is 1:59pm\n\n#Mastriano #SenMastriano #SeditionHunters #IamDougMastriano #IamJeremyOliver \nhttps://web.archive.org/web/20210111061520/https://video.parler.com/Qo/3h/Qo3hom0Qb1at.mp4\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/p8bUpdaWo0— K2theSky (@K2theSky) 1621789610
Mastriano responded to the video and photographic evidence of himself and his wife still being at the capitol after he claimed they left by backtracking and saying he was there, but he respected police lines the whole time.
In a statement he sent out via email and posted to his website, Mastriano said:
"Contrary to the desperate claims of anonymous keyboard warriors, I followed the directions of the Capitol Police and respected all police lines as I came upon them."
"Even disingenuous internet sleuths know that police lines did shift throughout the course of the day. I followed those lines as they existed."
What Mastriano doesn't say is those police lines moved throughout the day because people kept destroying barriers and pushing the police back. Not because the police arbitrarily decided to move them.
The GOP legislator further claimed news outlets:
"are relying on angry partisans who are so blinded by their hatred for all things Donald Trump that they are distorting facts to manipulate public opinion."
In addition to having still been at the capitol after claiming to have left, Mastriano repeatedly espoused the belief the 2020 election was "stolen" and Donald Trump was the rightful President during the months leading up to the Capitol riot.
He also claimed he'd had multiple conversations with the former President about how to overturn the election results.
Some Twitter users called for Mastriano to be removed from office, while others called for he and his wife to be arrested for participating in the insurrection.
Why hasn\u2019t he and his wife been arrested @FBIWFO— I Spy With My Little Eye (@I Spy With My Little Eye) 1621958554
@SenMastriano trespassing on the steps of the Capitol after the crowd fought past police and barricades to stormt he Capitol building. \n\n@FBI Doug Mastriano is a PA state Senator he should be easy to find and arrest. @JakeCorman Investigate his actions @BrianSimsPA @JoshShapiroPA— Shep (@Shep) 1621802034
Sedition without consequences is just practice.— ERlady (@ERlady) 1622028746
Mastriano's attempts to dissemble and backtrack about his claims of leaving the capitol before the riot started won't make the video evidence to the contrary go away.
All that remains to be seen is if he or his wife will face consequences for their participation.