BUSTED: New photos reveal Pennsylvania Republican lied about avoiding police barricades during Capitol riot

Pennsylvania GOP state Sen. Doug Mastriano, a candidate for governor in 2022, has tried to downplay his role in the Capitol riot after it was revealed he was in the area while it was taking place. "When it was apparent that this was no longer a peaceful protest, my wife and I left the area and made our way out of the area," said Mastriano. "At no point did we enter the Capitol building, walk on the Capitol steps, or go beyond police lines."

But according to WHYY, new photos indicate he was much closer to the Capitol than he admitted.

"Over the weekend, individuals using the hashtag '#SeditionHunters,' which has been used to crowdsource information about the riot from social media and many hours of streamed video, uncovered screenshots that appear to show Mastriano much closer to the action," reported Katie Meyer. "In one, he is visible standing on the Capitol lawn with his wife. In another, Mastriano appears poised to stroll past police barricades as rioters push past them."

Mastriano, a far-right evangelical and conspiracy theorist who has claimed to be endorsed by Trump even though the Trump team denies any such thing, has attacked those who provided the new photos as "anonymous keyboard warriors." He has also previously suggested that God was behind the Capitol insurrection.