Past time to move beyond election audit

It’s incomprehensible by any rational standard, but nearly 10 months after the 2020 presidential election has been decided, Republicans in the state Legislature still are railing about the outcome and proceeding with an election investigation that will change nothing. Even more confusing is the flip-flopping by the state Senate’s top Republican and the in- fighting among party members.

The only word for what’s going on now is bizarre. State Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-Franklin County, wanted an Arizona-style “forensic investigation” of the election, going so far as to demand election materials and information from officials in Tioga, York and Philadelphia counties. When the counties declined to meet his demands, he threatened to force compliance by issuing subpoenas.

That proved a step too far for Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman, R-Centre County — or so it seemed. He criticized Mr. Mastrianao as being more interested in grandstanding than getting results. No argument there. Mr. Mastriano has repeatedly taken stances to demonstrate his total subordination to the wishes of former President Donald Trump, and challenging the legitimacy of the state’s 2020 election is a cause he championed.

The audit uproar led to some vicious finger-pointing between Mr. Mastriano and Mr. Corman, the former claiming that Mr. Corman blocked his audit efforts and then took credit for moving them forward. Mr. Corman accused Mr. Mastriano of only being “interested in politics and showmanship and not actually getting things done” and replaced him with Sen. Cris Dush, R-Centre County, as the person to lead a “full forensic investigation” of the 2020 election.

Mr. Dush — another full-throated supporter of Mr. Trump — traveled to Arizona with Mr. Mastriano to observe the audit there conducted by the controversial Cyber Ninjas firm. So putting Mr. Dush in charge of an investigation amounts to a change in partners among Republicans who still are challenging the election outcome. Mr. Dush has scheduled hearings on the matter.

And where it once seemed that Mr. Corman was demonstrating some restraint in the extent of an election probe, a phone conversation he had with Mr. Trump hints otherwise. Now the senator is suggesting that Mr. Dush’s committee will seek voting records, ballots and voting machines, and may use subpoenas to get them — the very measures that Mr. Mastriano had threatened.

It is head-scratching to contemplate unless it is nothing more than pure politics of the worst kind. Indeed, it would seem these maneuvers are demonstrations of fealty to Mr. Trump in an effort to secure part of his base in their districts.

What does it gain the commonwealth to continue this pursuit of baseless claims of voting irregularities? Nothing.

Even some of their own party members are calling for an end to the nonsense. The Republican-majority board of commissioners in Tioga County, in rejecting Mr. Mastriano’s demand for materials, issued a statement saying the county conducted a fair and verifiable election and there are more important issues before lawmakers. State Sen. Gene Yaw of Lycoming County and Sen. Dan Laughin of Erie County have voiced similar sentiments, saying the election is over and it’s time to move on.

Those insisting on an election probe should consider what’s best for the state’s residents, rather than what pleases Donald Trump and his base.