Alabama Republican Congressman Mo Brooks on Saturday released a text message he received from "Stop the Steal" organizer Ali Alexander in the run-up to Jan. 6, according to Politico reporter Kyle Cheney.
"Congressman, this is Ali Alexander," the message stated. "I am the founder of Stop the Steal, the protests happening in all 50 states. We met years ago back in 2010, during the tea party when you were first elected. I texted the wrong number. I had intended to invite you to our giant Saturday prayer rally in DC, this past weekend. Also Gen. (Michael) Flynn should be giving you a ring. We stand ready to help. Jan 6th is a big moment in our republic."
Brooks released the text message after Alexander revealed that he had been in communication with the congressman prior to Jan. 6 — both in testimony before a House committee investigating the Capitol insurrection, and in a lawsuit filed Friday seeking to keep his cell-phone records secret.
Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course.
Alexander has also said in a since-deleted video that he worked with Brooks, as well as Arizona GOP Reps. Paul Gosar and Rep. Andy Biggs, "to attempt to use Congress' Jan. 6 session certifying Biden's victory as a chance to pressure lawmakers to overturn the electoral results," according to Politico.
In a lengthy statement released Saturday, Brooks' office called the text message "100 percent benign," and said the congressman's cell phone "did not recognize the sender." The statement also said that "to the best of Brooks' knowledge," the phone call from Flynn to which Alexander alluded "never happened."
RELATED: "Stop the Steal" founder Ali Alexander points finger at GOP Congressmen in Jan. 6 testimony
"Outside of this possible text message with someone who claimed to be 'Ali Alexander,' Congressman Brooks has no recollection of any other communications involving Congressman Brooks and someone claiming to be 'Ali Alexander,' and, after a search involving cell phone records and emails, Congressman Brooks has found no communications that purport to involve Congressman Brooks and anyone claiming to be 'Ali Alexander,'" the statement read. "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."
Read Alexander's text message and the statement from Brooks' office below.
Shares