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https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/stop-the-steal-activist-told-jan-6-committee-about-contact-with-gop-lawmakers/ar-AARXgrK?ocid=BingNews
Ali Alexander, the conservative activist behind the "Stop the Steal" movement, recently told congressional investigators that he had communicated with several House Republican lawmakers ahead of the Jan. 6 rally and Capitol riot, along with at least one member of the Trump family's inner circle.
Alexander disclosed his communications -- and the relevant materials turned over to the Jan. 6 House select committee -- in a new lawsuit challenging the panel from obtaining his phone records from Verizon.
"Alexander received a notice from Verizon that the Select Committee had subpoenaed Verizon for nine categories of information associated with Alexander's personal cell phone number, including IP addresses, devices, billing addresses, account changes, a list of contacts, call session times, and dozens to hundreds of other data points or metadata from November 1, 2020 ... to January 31, 2021," according to a Friday complaint filed against lawmakers on the committee and Verizon.
Alexander had challenged the grounds for obtaining his cellphone communication, saying in the complaint the data is "not pertinent to the investigation and sweeps up privileged communications between Alexander and clergy, Alexander and people he spiritually counsels, and Alexander and his respective attorneys."
MORE: 'Stop the Steal' organizer cooperating with Jan. 6 committee probe, sits for 8-hour interviewAccording to the complaint, Alexander testified to the committee on Dec. 9 that he "had a few phone conversations" with Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., potentially texted Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Ala., and spoke in person to Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz.
All three GOP lawmakers were involved in the efforts to challenge the electoral results on Jan. 6, and participated in meetings at the White House and on Capitol Hill on the subject.
Brooks released Saturday night what he said was the text he received from Alexander, showing the activist introducing himself on Dec. 16, 2020, and calling Jan. 6 "a big moment for our republic." Brooks said he did not recognize the number at the time and called the contents "benign" anyway.
"The insinuation that this single text to Congressman Brooks from an unknown number by someone claiming to be 'Ali Alexander' somehow suggests Congressman Brooks in any way helped plan the Capitol attack is absurd, outrageous and defamatory," Brooks wrote in a statement.
Alexander had boasted in a social media video in January that he had worked with the GOP lawmakers to challenge the election results. He did not take part in storming the Capitol.
"In January, Mr. Alexander held an organizing call where Members of Congress might have been present, and some were invited. He doesn't recall who was in attendance because there was no roll call of attendees because the call was so large," the complaint reads.
MORE: Trump ally Roger Stone invokes 5th Amendment in appearance before Jan. 6 committeeAlexander also spoke over the phone with Kimberly Guilfoyle, Donald Trump Jr.'s partner and a Trump campaign fundraiser, and told investigators it was a "short and pleasant" conversation about the Georgia Senate runoffs and GOP primaries in 2022, according to the complaint.
In January, after the Capitol riot, Biggs's office told ABC News the congressman was "not aware of hearing of or meeting Mr. Alexander at any point -- let alone working with him to organize some part of a planned protest on January 6."
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