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Checking claims by Wisconsin lawmakers about attack on the U.S. Capitol

Posted at 6:23 PM, Jan 15, 2021
and last updated 2021-01-15 19:23:03-05

The attack on the U.S Capitol is still being felt across the country. PolitiFact Wisconsin looks at two claims by local lawmakers about that tragic day.

Part of the false narrative that fueled the deadly attack on Jan. 6 was the claim that Vice President Mike Pence or lawmakers could change the outcome of the November election.

Republican Congressman Mike Gallagher tried to set the record straight for those who thought President Trump still had a chance to win the White House.

"On January 3rd, the Green Bay Congressman said: 'Congress has one job here. To count electoral college votes that have in fact been cast by any state,'" said Eric Litke with PolitiFact Wisconsin .

Gallagher did not support Republican efforts to challenge the electoral college votes in certain states. He said Jan. 6 was a largely constitutional - ceremonial day.

" By January 6th, those votes had been counted, recounted and confirmed by the states and ultimately lead to the appointment of electors who had already voted," said Litke. "Congress simply rubber-stamped the end results."

PolitiFact Wisconsin rated Gallagher's claim True.

When rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol and tried to break through the barricaded doors of the House - a person was shot and killed.

That set of a wave of speculation on social media about who was involved and what exactly happened

"Wisconsin Representative Jonathan Brostoff joined the fray with a tweet asserting that the woman killed inside the Capitol had been shot by secret service, not by Capitol police," said Litke.

PolitiFact Wisconsin says Capitol Police later issued a statement saying it was a Capitol Police officer who fired the shot.

"in light of that, Brostoff said he had been misinformed and deleted his tweet," said Litke.

PolitiFact Wisconsin rated Brostoff's claim False.

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