On today’s episode of The Confluence:
Congressman Mike Kelly’s office confirmed a former staffer’s participation in a ‘false elector' plot
(0:00 - 7:27)
Various names have come up during the hearings regarding the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, including Pennsylvania Congressman Mike Kelly.
Late last week, the Butler Republican’s office confirmed members of his staff were involved in a plot to alter the Electoral College vote count in the 2020 presidential election.
The scheme involved offering former Vice President Mike Pence alternate, pro-Trump electors from Wisconsin, because Pence oversaw the Senate’s confirmation of the Electoral College votes.
The electors were shared with Pence’s staff by the staff of Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson.
When asked about the origin of the electors, Johnson deferred to Kelly’s former Chief of Staff Matt Stroia.
Kelly’s office recently completed an internal investigation, which concluded that current staff members had no knowledge of Stroia’s alleged actions. Kelly himself has denied ever speaking to Stroia regarding the plot.
“I would point out that Mr. Stroia was a chief of staff to Mr. Kelly for about a decade,” says Chris Potter, WESA’s government and accountability editor. “What we're being told here is that you had a chief of staff engaged in a very high profile, very significant effort to affect the outcome of the 2020 election, allegedly without the consent or knowledge of his boss.”
Further probes into Kelly’s office are unlikely, as the Jan. 6 Committee has said it has concluded its investigation into Johnson’s office. However, Potter says the Department of Justice has begun to look into plots of false electors.
Quecreek miners reflect on their rescue, 20 years later
(7:31 - 17:53)
On July 28th, 2002, nine men were rescued after being trapped 240 feet underground in a flooded mine for 77 hours. The mine was flooded when an adjacent, abandoned mine was breached.
Twenty years later, the nine men and their story is being commemorated with a series of events hosted by the Quecreek Mine Rescue Foundation.
Two of the miners, Ron Hileman and Bob Pugh, recounted their experience in the mine.
“We didn’t know what was going on down below. Everything was dark, wet, cold,” says Pugh. “We were just hoping to maybe get a week off of work, but as time went on we realized, ‘This is not good. We’re not getting out of here.’”
Pugh says miners received annual safety courses, but flooding was never a topic of concern.
After hours of being trapped, the men were located, and the rescue crew utilized pressurized air to keep the water from rising further.
Hilemen says the men did not sleep much while in the mine. They were able to communicate that they were alive by tapping on a pipe placed by the rescue crew: nine taps, one for each miner that was alive. After three days, the men were winched out of the mine in a rescue capsule.
“That was pretty overwhelming,” says Hileman about returning to the surface. “You couldn't really see anything because [after] being in the dark that long, your eyes didn't focus much. You just seen a bunch of lights and you heard a bunch of people cheering and clapping.”
Both men describe the rescue as a miracle.
Pennsylvania DEP is investigating a possible ‘frac-out’ near a Greene County well
(17:58 - 22:30)
In June, a natural gas company lost control in one section of a gas well it was drilling in Greene County, according to state regulators. People who live there have been waiting for test results to show whether it affected their water.
The Allegheny Front’s Reid Frazier reports they have other unanswered questions.
The Confluence, where the news comes together, is 90.5 WESA’s daily news program. Tune in Monday to Thursday at 9 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. to hear newsmakers and innovators take an in-depth look at stories important to the Pittsburgh region. Find more episodes of The Confluence here or wherever you get your podcasts.
