Seth Grove and Doug Mastriano are the faces of Harrisburg’s version of Trump’s Big Lie
PENNSYLVANIA — In the wake of Donald Trump’s Big Lie of nonexistent election fraud and the January 6th terrorist attack at the Capitol, making it harder for people to vote is the issue of choice for Harrisburg Republicans — and the only thing that unites the GOP after Trump’s loss. Two men have worked hard to become the faces of this reactionary sore loser act in their respective chambers: Rep. Seth Grove in the House and Sen. Doug Mastriano in the Senate. Each of them has strong connections to the insurrectionist conspiracy theories around the Big Lie and seeks to make it harder for Pennsylvanians — especially seniors, disabled people, and communities of color — to vote. They also both championed and voted for Act 77, the election bill they are now trying desperately to undo.
Rep. Seth Grove leaned fully into the Big Lie. He spouted conspiracy theories about Dominion Voting Systems shortly after the 2020 election was called and authored a letter demanding that Congress overturn Pennsylvania’s election results. Of course, on January 6th, Pennsylvania Republicans heeded his call to do just that, based on nothing but lies and conspiracies.
His bill — motivated by Trump’s Big Lie — makes it harder for Pennsylvanians to vote. The bill:
— Eliminates convenient drop boxes
— Eliminates satellite election offices
— Limits the opportunity for counties to use drop boxes
— Gives less time to register to vote
— Gives less time to apply to vote-by-mail
— Requires signature verification with no training or standards
— Opens the door to an Arizona-style audit
Sen. Doug Mastriano is a Q-Anon affiliated conspiracy theorist who has also made it his mission to perpetuate the Big Lie and make it harder for Pennsylvanians to vote. He organized the infamous Gettysburg hearing with Rudy Giuliani and Harrisburg Republican leadership to elevate election conspiracy theories, put together bus trips to the January 6th terrorist attack on the Capitol, led a conspiracy theory tourism trip to “observe” Arizona’s sham circus election audit, and has worked with former President Trump to push for an Arizona-style audit in Pennsylvania.
Mastriano’s contempt for Pennsylvania voters has led him to introduce a resolution calling for a constitutional amendment that would make it harder for people to vote.
“Seth Grove and Doug Mastriano are both key players in the Big Lie and have used the same lies and paranoia to try and make it harder for Pennsylvanians to vote,” said Pennsylvania Democratic Party spokesman Brendan Welch. “They led Harrisburg Republicans to fan the flames of terrorism and a deadly attack on police officers and the seat of our democracy. They are two peas in a Trumpian pod and Pennsylvanians don’t want their hands in our elections.”
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