Scranton Reporter

Pennsylvania State Senator and gubernatorial nominee Doug Mastriano filed a lawsuit against the January 6 Committee Thursday following its refusal to accept his request for an audio recording of an informal interview, which was done to prevent deceptive editing. Mastriano also alleges that the Committee also broke House rules by attempting to turn said interview into a compelled deposition.

“Accordingly, the focus of this complaint is not the legitimacy of the Committee," the lawsuit read. "Rather, it is the Committee’s absolute inability to legally compel deposition testimony in compliance with the Regulations for Use of Deposition Authority.”

“Throughout the course of this investigation, Doug Mastriano has always been fully open, cooperative, and transparent with law enforcement, including the FBI,” Mastriano's attorney Timothy Parlatore said in a press release. “Regrettably, the Committee has chosen to violate the rules of the House of Representatives by demanding a compelled deposition – a move that we must challenge in court. Doug Mastriano will not fall prey to the unlawful intimidation tactics employed by the January 6 Committee."

According to Politico, Mastriano's lawsuit names House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D - CA), each member of the Committee, and the Committee itself as defendants. While Mastriano isn't the first to offer a legal challenge to the Committee, none of his predecessors have been victorious.

Mastriano was the victor out of nine potential candidates to win the Pennsylvania GOP's nomination for the 2022 gubernatorial race and is set to battle state Attorney General and Democratic nominee Josh Shapiro in the November 8 general election. Currently serving as the state Senator for Pennsylvania's 33rd District, Mastriano is also a retired U.S. Army Colonel and a holder of four Master's degrees in Strategy, Strategic Intelligence, Military Operations and Airpower, as well as a Ph.D. in History. He has made appearances on multiple national radio programs, as well as Tucker Carlson, C-Span, and Fox Business with Stuart Varney.