Deborah W. Maestas
Included on the basis of: Named in incident record — 2020 Fake Elector Scheme
Secretary of the Dec. 14, 2020 meeting; former Republican Party of New Mexico chair; signed New Mexico's conditionally-worded December 14, 2020 Trump/Pence elector certificate.
Location: New Mexico
Documented claims
New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez's office investigated the New Mexico certificate and, in a January 2024 report, concluded that the conditional wording and witness statements indicating the signers believed the document would take effect only if pending litigation succeeded meant state forgery and fraud statutes could not be met. The Attorney General declined to file criminal charges against Deborah W. Maestas or any of the other four signers, and instead recommended new legislation to close the gap for any future conduct of this kind.
- Final Report: Investigation into New Mexico's 2020 Fraudulent Electors — New Mexico Department of Justice / Attorney General (01/19/2024) [Primary]
- NM attorney general won't charge fake electors, recommends new law — Source New Mexico (01/25/2024) [Corroborating]
Deborah W. Maestas was subpoenaed by the January 6th Select Committee on January 28, 2022 as part of its investigation into the multi-state elector scheme.
- Final Report, Chapter 3 (fraudulent elector scheme) — January 6th Select Committee / GPO (12/22/2022) [Primary]
Deborah W. Maestas was one of five New Mexico Republicans who met at Republican Party of New Mexico headquarters on December 14, 2020 and signed a "Certificate of the Votes" for Donald Trump and Mike Pence. UNLIKE the certificates signed in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, and Wisconsin, New Mexico's certificate contained explicit conditional language: the signers certified their votes "on the understanding that it might later be determined that we are the duly elected and qualified electors" -- a hedged, contingent framing tied to a pending lawsuit challenging New Mexico's results, not an assertion of present legitimacy.
- Final Report: Investigation into New Mexico's 2020 Fraudulent Electors — New Mexico Department of Justice / Attorney General (01/19/2024) [Primary]
- NM attorney general won't charge fake electors, recommends new law — Source New Mexico (01/25/2024) [Corroborating]
- 2020 Electoral College Results (National Archives) — National Archives and Records Administration (01/06/2021) [Corroborating]
Relationships
12/14/2020
- Final Report: Investigation into New Mexico's 2020 Fraudulent Electors — New Mexico Department of Justice / Attorney General (01/19/2024) [Primary]
- 2020 Electoral College Results (National Archives) — National Archives and Records Administration (01/06/2021) [Corroborating]