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Rudy Giuliani barred from testifying at Michigan election hearing by GOP chair as he has no 'first-hand knowledge'

The decision by Republican Chair Ed McBroom will be a serious blow to President Donald Trump's legal pursuits to overturn the November 3 election loss

President Donald Trump and his legal team might be fighting a battle to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election but with each passing day, the struggle seems to be waning. It has been reported now that Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s high-profile election attorney, has been stopped from testifying at a hearing in Michigan on Tuesday, December 1, by none other than the state wing of the Republican Party. 

Trump lost the key state in this year’s election and along with it, 16 electoral votes. However, he is continuing with his efforts to overturn the results. The news on Giuliani gives a fair impression that the GOP is running out of ideas and is hoping less about the possibility of Trump emerging winner in the hard-fought elections. 

Giuliani barred because he has no 'first-hand knowledge'

Jonathan Oosting, a reporter for Bridge Michigan, came up with a series of tweets to break the news. In one of the posts, Oosting cited Republican Chair Ed McBroom as saying that the veteran lawyer will not be allowed to testify at the Michigan Senate Oversight Committee hearing because he does not possess “first-hand knowledge” of election fraud. 

The 76-year-old Giuliani recently appeared at non-profit meetings with GOP lawmakers in other crucial states like Pennsylvania and Arizona (Trump lost those two as well) on the issue of "voter fraud". The upcoming hearing in Detroit is also expected to focus on the same.

Giuliani's press conferences have, however, left people more amused than engaged and even Trump is reportedly not too pleased with his performance. At a press conference in Washington DC on November 19, Giuliani made the headlines, not because of his legal arguments, but what looked like streaks of hair dye streaming down his face.

In another tweet, Oosting said: “Virtual testimony will NOT be allowed tomorrow in Michigan Senate Oversight hearing on Detroit absentee ballot counting operation at TCF Center. In-person or written testimony only, GOP Chair Ed McBroom confirms.”

In another post on the social media platform, Oosting said he asked McBroom whether he was concerned that rules will bar testimony from the Democratic poll challengers who raised concerns over the coronavirus pandemic. “He noted option for written testimony and said he told Dem colleagues they can bring in expert witnesses virtually at a follow-up meeting next week,” the reporter said.

The 39-year-old McBroom also said in the wake of not allowing Giuliani that if the Trump campaign has “somebody with first-hand knowledge who wants to come in, they can put in a card and wait in line with everybody else for their three minutes”, Oosting added.

Outgoing Michigan GOP Congressman to drop fraud claims

Meanwhile, outgoing Republican Representative Paul Mitchell made yet another appeal to Trump on Sunday, November 29, to drop the claims of election fraud. The 64-year-old, who represents a strongly pro-Trump district (10th) in the Great Lakes State, said in a tweet responding to a voter fraud claim made by Trump: “Oh my God. .@realDonaldTrump Please for the sake of our Nation please drop these arguments without evidence or factual basis. #stopthestupid.”

The outgoing lawmaker has made several statements since November 3 asking the commander-in-chief to stop spreading conspiracy theories “for the sake of our nation” and criticized the GOP leaders for undermining the poll result without any proof.