• The big money that is financing the big lie
• The Delta variant continues to spread

The Big Story

New details continue to emerge about the attempts by former President Trump and his allies to subvert the results of the 2020 election — attempts that have morphed into frivolous ballot reviews that threaten to undermine future elections.
 
This week, ABC News published a Dec. 28 draft letter that was part of a plan to overturn President Biden's victory in Georgia. The letter, which urged top officials in Georgia to investigate unsubstantiated allegations of voter fraud, was written by Jeffrey Clark, the former DOJ official who in early January had plotted with Trump to replace acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen. Clark asked Rosen and acting Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue to sign off on the letter; Rosen and Donoghue refused.
 
Of course, the attempts to cast doubt on the results 2020 election and weaken confidence in the integrity of future elections didn't end there. The Arizona Senate's partisan election "audit" has been dragging on for months longer than planned, giving the big lie plenty of time to fester and grow.
 
The state Senate is fighting hard to avoid transparency in its sham operation. This week, an Arizona judge ordered the Senate to "immediately" begin releasing records that American Oversight requested in our lawsuit, again rejecting the Senate's argument that records held by contractor Cyber Ninjas could be shielded from the public. On Thursday, the Senate appealed the decision.
 
Judge Michael Kemp had on July 15 ordered the Senate to produce records, including information about the cost of the "audit." Last week, Cyber Ninjas said that in addition to the $150,000 provided by the Senate, a whopping $5.7 million had been raised by groups promoting Trump's lies about a stolen election.
 
The big money that is financing the big lie was also the subject of a major story by the New Yorker's Jane Mayer this week, who painted an alarming picture of the groups raising money in service of those lies and of the danger of the Arizona stunt being replicated elsewhere: A "well-funded national movement has been exploiting Trump's claims of fraud in order to promote alterations to the way that ballots are cast and counted in 49 states. … The chair of Arizona's Republican Party, Kelli Ward, has referred to the state's audit as a 'domino,' and has expressed hope that it will inspire similar challenges elsewhere."

That's already happening. Here's an update on the anti-democratic rumblings in other states:

• Wisconsin: The election investigation initiated by Assembly Speaker Robin Vos is expanding, with the news this week that its two part-time investigators had quit so that the probe — spearheaded by conservative former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman — can hire more people. The initial contracts involved spending $72,000 for the investigation; Vos now says it could cost several hundred thousands.
• Vos appears to have expanded his investigation because it (as well as several recounts and an ongoing audit by the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau) weren't enough for supporters of the big lie. Just this week, another state legislator invoked a QAnon conspiracy message in an online video in which he said he was seeking private donations for an Arizona-style review.
• Pennsylvania: State Sen. Doug Mastriano indicated that he expects to issue subpoenas to force three counties to turn over election materials. Mastriano, a vocal supporter of the "Stop the Steal" lie, was outside the Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot.
• In one of those counties, York, Trump supporters have reportedly been going door to door and asking people whom they voted for.
• Michigan: A state Republican Party committee is considering a resolution calling for the resignation of a state senator who led an investigation that found no evidence of widespread fraud.

• Arkansas banned mask mandates. As schools get ready to reopen, the governor says he regrets signing the law. (Washington Post)
• Florida school district backtracks on mask mandate after DeSantis threatens to cut funds (Washington Post)
• Top RNC official in Florida spreads Covid-19 conspiracies, calling vaccines the 'mark of the beast' (CNN)
• In one Missouri county, coroner excludes Covid from death certificates if family asks (Kansas City Star)
• New York City is expected to require proof of vaccination for indoor dining and fitness (New York Times)
• SC attorney general says University of South Carolina can't require masks on campus (Spartanburg Herald Journal)
• South Dakota Gov. Noem to appear at Sturgis charity ride as some fear rally will prompt Covid spread (Newsweek)
• When Delta strikes: Latest coronavirus surges grow faster, hit record heights in Louisiana, Florida (Washington Post)

• Chaos and confusion: Back to school turns ugly as Delta rages (Politico)
• FDA aims to give final approval to Pfizer vaccine by early next month (New York Times)
• Most unvaccinated Americans believe coronavirus vaccine poses greater health risk than the disease, poll finds (Washington Post)
• Biden administration preparing to offer vaccines to migrants along Mexico border (Washington Post)
• CDC document warns Delta variant appears to spread as easily as chickenpox and cause more severe infection (CNN)
• Defense secretary weighs recommending vaccine mandate for troops (New York Times)
• U.S. plans to require Covid-19 shots for foreign travelers (Associated Press)

Other Stories We're Following

National News

• Last-minute eviction ban extension fuels confusion and is too late for some (Washington Post)
• Justice Department says Russians hacked federal prosecutors (Associated Press)
• Trump seeks to block Treasury Department from giving his tax returns to Congress (NBC News)
• Prospect of massive economic packages unleashes lobbying bonanza in Washington (Washington Post)
• Police shootings continue daily, despite a pandemic, protests and pushes for reform (Washington Post)
• Japanese whiskey worth $5,800 gifted to Pompeo is missing, State filings say (CNN)

• Arizona's Ducey and Brnovich are openly asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade (Phoenix New Times)
• Students, retirees and a 'shop rat' are drawing Michigan's next political maps (MLive.com)
• Georgia Gov. Kemp the first to set up newly legal unlimited donation committee (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
• Energy industry showers Gov. Greg Abbott, other Texas politicians with campaign cash after they passed power grid bills (Texas Tribune)
• Notices mailed to 185K registered Georgia voters who might have moved (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

• Some 100,000 green cards at risk of going to waste in Covid backlog (Wall Street Journal)
• Biden taps lawyer to help rescind Trump immigration policy (Politico)
• Federal judge temporarily blocks Gov. Greg Abbott's order to pull over vehicles with migrants, which drew racial profiling concerns (Texas Tribune)
• Biden administration to keep using public health rule to turn away migrants (New York Times)
• U.S. expands citizenship eligibility for children of same-sex couples born overseas (CBS News)

• As many Republicans try to rewrite history of Jan. 6 attack, Sen. Ron Johnson suggests FBI knew more than it has said (Washington Post)
• Federal judge sanctions lawyers who challenged 2020 election results, calls claims 'fantastical' (The Hill)
• Mark Meadows timeline: The chief of staff and schemes to overturn 2020 election (Just Security)
• Officer Mike Fanone survived Jan. 6. Then his trials began (Time)
• Experts raise alarms over fundraising for GOP ballot reviews (Associated Press)