Rusty Bowers, the former Speaker of the Arizona House, has stepped forward to confirm his involvement in the federal investigation into the alleged attempts to reverse the 2020 election outcome. Bowers, a high-profile figure within the Republican party, had previously shared his account with the January 6 House Select Committee, detailing a proposed plan by Donald Trump and his personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, alleging they tried to install counterfeit electoral officials.
During Thursday night’s interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Bowers disclosed that his interactions with the FBI were part of the ongoing investigation spearheaded by special counsel Jack Smith. “I am hesitant to talk about any subpoenas, etc. But I have been interviewed by the FBI,” Bowers explained. He also said that the interaction took place several months prior. He further noted that although he didn’t offer any fresh insights, the investigators seemed thoroughly informed about his earlier testimony.
“I offered them nothing new. They seemed to have a good grasp on all of the testimony that I had given,” Bowers said to CNN. “They were very aware of the January 6th committee testimony that I gave. There may have been something that I said that was of interest. But I don’t remember anything standing out that had not been mentioned before.”
Bowers, who was reprimanded by the Republican Party of Arizona last year due to his testimony on January 6, is now recognized as the most senior Republican official to have communicated with federal investigators regarding his post-election discussions with Trump and his close associates.
Legal pundits infer that Bowers’ collaboration with the FBI signifies a broad and meticulous probe involving participants from various states. Christine Adams, a former federal prosecutor and current partner at Adams, Duerk & Kamenstein, told Newsweek, “Federal investigators have gained the cooperation of former top GOP officials in their investigation, including Bowers and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, which undercuts any assertions that the investigation is a partisan witch hunt.”
Raffensperger became a national figure during the 2020 United States Presidential election due to Georgia’s critical role in the election and subsequent recounts.
In the aftermath of the 2020 election, Raffensperger found himself at odds with then-President Donald Trump and other Republicans due to Trump’s claims of widespread voter fraud. Trump alleged that he lost Georgia due to illegal votes, but Raffensperger, overseeing the election process in the state, repeatedly defended the integrity of the election in Georgia.
Bowers made headlines in December 2020 when he publicly unveiled how Trump and his team made an audacious request to him to overturn the election results, a proposal he vehemently opposed. Despite his conservative Republican beliefs and his support for Trump, Bowers was adamant about not endorsing any proposal that would infringe upon the law to manipulate the result of a certified election.
In his testimony to the January 6 committee in June 2022, Bowers said that Trump and Giuliani had broached the subject of the alleged scheme with him. Giuliani alleged to possess evidence of voting anomalies, such as votes cast by undocumented immigrants or deceased individuals in the 2020 election.
Bowers’ perception of the 2020 election probe, based on the line of questioning by investigators, suggests a wide-ranging investigation. The probe seems to cover the lawyers associated with Trump, Giuliani’s actions, and other members of Trump’s team.