Republican activists in Michigan and Arizona tried sending the National Archives fake documents purporting to award each state’s 2020 electoral votes to Donald Trump and Mike Pence. The erroneous documents are now in the hands of the House select committee investigating the 6 January insurrection.

       The ersatz “certificates of ascertainment” were created and signed by most of the Republican electors whose votes would’ve gone to Mr Trump and Mr Pence had they won either state. Officials at the National Archives passed copies of the fakes along to the offices of Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, along with notice that the archives would be rejecting them.

       The fake Michigan certificate was the work of GOP activist and Republican National Committee member Kathy Berden, The Detroit News reported after obtaining a memorandum about the document via an open records request.

       Asked why she submitted the forgery, Ms Berden replied: "I can't comment on anything like that. That was a long time ago”.

       According to Politico, Ms Benson and Ms Hobbs both sent the fake certificates to the select committee with accompanying correspondence between their offices and the National Archives.

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       Both top election officials are Democrats, and were among those who were named as targets in a plan turned over to the committee by ex-New York City police commissioner Bernard Kerik.

       Each of them, along with their staffs, met with the select committee late last year.