GOP candidates for Governor continue to champion Republicans’ “fraudit” as Harrisburg Republicans send first payment of taxpayer money to unqualified vendor Envoy Sage.
PENNSYLVANIA — Harrisburg Republicans and the GOP candidates for Governor continue to spend their time relitigating the 2020 presidential election, embracing their sham election “audit” that would turn nine million Pennsylvanians’ private, personal information over to an unqualified vendor. Jake Corman, Doug Mastriano, Lou Barletta, Dave White, and Bill McSwain have all defended the “audit,” and there’s a real cost to that — last week, it was reported that Republicans sent a first payment of $45,000 of taxpayer money to their hand-picked vendor Envoy Sage.
After concern from cybersecurity experts across the country and outrage from Pennsylvanians across the state, Republicans moved forward with the “audit,” announcing Envoy Sage would conduct the partisan review — even though the company was selected behind closed doors, and is led by a GOP donor. Despite being wholly unqualified, Harrisburg Republicans want to push forward with handing nine million Pennsylvanians’ personal, private information over to the company.
“Republicans are wasting Pennsylvanians’ hard-earned dollars, just to relitigate the last presidential election — and the GOP candidates for Governor are all-in, even if it means risking Pennsylvanians’ personal, private information,” said Pennsylvania Democratic Party spokesperson Marisa Nahem. “Republicans made good on yet another promise to Trump and the MAGA base, wasting taxpayer money to further repeatedly disproven claims of voter fraud. Instead of focusing on the issues facing Pennsylvanians right now, out-of-touch Republicans remain obsessed with championing Trump’s Big Lie, and if they win in November, they’ll continue to put Trump ahead of Pennsylvanians.”
The GOP candidates for Governor support this baseless waste of taxpayer money, and continue to focus more on the last election than the current issues facing the Commonwealth. Here are some of the far-right gubernatorial candidates’ boldest moments championing Harrisburg Republicans’ fraudit:
Jake Corman:
Longtime Harrisburg insider Jake Corman has undergone a “MAGA Makeover,” leading Harrisburg Republicans’ sham audit — and risking nine million Pennsylvanians’ social security and driver’s license numbers. He even defended the fraudit in court and has gone on Steve Bannon’s show multiple times to pander directly to the MAGA base.
Doug Mastriano:
GOP Primary frontrunner Doug Mastriano was the original champion of sham election audits, that is before Jake Corman took it away and reassigned his staffers. Mastriano has since called for “audits” in all 50 states and the possible decertification of election results. Of course, Mastriano also attended the Jan. 6 insurrection and spent thousands in campaign funds to bus Pennsylvanians to the Capitol that day — and received a congressional subpoena for his efforts.
Lou Barletta:
Former Congressman Lou Barletta was one of Trump’s earliest and most loyal supporters in Congress and now, in his gubernatorial campaign, he has endorsed Harrisburg Republicans’ sham election audit and repeatedly refuses to admit that President Biden is the legitimately elected President. Barletta also signed on as one of Trump’s fake electors in a nationwide scheme to undermine our democracy — so it’s no wonder he has the support of conspiracy theorists like Rose Tennent and disgraced Rep. Paul Gosar.
Dave White:
“Career politician” Dave White has made “election integrity” a central part of his “Trump Primary” campaign. White endorsed Harrisburg Republicans’ sham audit, and when asked about it, said he “certainly” supports Trump’s calls for audits of the 2020 presidential election.
Bill McSwain:
Trump’s former U.S. Attorney Bill McSwain is desperately trying to fool Trump into thinking he’s a MAGA champion, and he’s going all-in on Trump’s Big Lie in an attempt to prove his loyalty to the former President. In the fall, McSwain supported the “fraudit,” stating “there’s been audits in several states, including recently one in Wisconsin. So why not go forward with it?” But as U.S. Attorney, McSwain failed to investigate a single case of voter fraud in 2020 — a simple fact McSwain tried to paper over when he wrote the now infamous letter to Trump begging for his endorsement and promoting repeatedly disproven claims of voter fraud.
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