ELECTION INTEGRITY UPDATE

from your National Committeeman Peter Feaman

Exclusive — RNC Sues Key Pennsylvania County for Absentee Ballot Transparency

Breitbart: By Matthew Boyle, February 13, 2022

https://www.breitbart.com/Politics/2022/02/13/Exclusive-Rnc-Sues-Key-Pennsylvania-County-For-Absentee-Ballot-Transparency/

The Republican National Committee (RNC) is suing Bucks County, Pennsylvania, to push for more transparency when it comes to the county’s processes for counting absentee ballots, Breitbart News has learned exclusively.

The lawsuit represents an escalation by the GOP in an effort to establish uniformity in the Keystone State when it comes to the process of absentee ballot counting, with several counties in the state still resisting transparency and reform efforts.

“The RNC is suing the Bucks County Board of Elections because Pennsylvanians deserve transparent elections,” RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel told Breitbart News. “Refusing to share crucial information about how absentee ballots are counted is unacceptable. This is yet another example of how the RNC is fighting for election integrity in courts across the country: whether it’s non-citizens voting in New York City or local election boards hiding information, we hold Democrats accountable.”

Filed Friday in the Court of Common Pleas in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, the RNC lawsuit against the Bucks County Board of Elections seeks to compel the county to provide documents and information the RNC previously filed formal requests for regarding the process for absentee ballot counting in Pennsylvania elections. The county previously denied the information through the formal request, and the RNC seeks to have the court overturn that denial and force the county to cooperate with the public records requests.

The original request from the RNC sought several items, per the lawsuit. “Any and all communications from the Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Elections, regarding the counting, processing, curing, or rejection of mail-in or absentee ballots for the 2020 General Election” is the first item listed.

The next eight items sought are as follows, quoted directly from the lawsuit:

• Any and all communications to the Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Elections, regarding the counting, processing, curing, or rejection of mail-in or absentee ballots for the 2020 General Election.
• Any and all communications from the Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Elections, regarding training for poll workers and judges of elections for the 2020 General Election.
• Any and all documents reviewed or utilized by the Bucks County Board of Elections regarding the counting, processing, curing, or rejection of mail-in or absentee ballots for the 2020 General Election.
• Any and all documents regarding and/or relating to any training sessions regarding the procedures to be used in counting, processing, curing, or rejection of mail-in or absentee ballots for the 2020 General Election.
• Any and all documents reflecting the procedure used to count, process, cure, or reject mail-in or absentee ballots for the 2020 General Election.
• Any and all documents relied upon and/or referred to during the Canvass, as that term is described in the Pennsylvania Election Code.
• Any and all communications to or from any employee or staff member of the Bucks County Board of elections, including the administrator of mail-in elections regarding the counting, processing, curing, or rejection of mail-in or absentee ballots for the 2020 General Election.
• Any plan, documents, training materials, or other materials created or used by the Bucks County Board of Elections, its employees, officers, or agents for creating the system used to process, count, cure, or reject mail-in or absentee ballots for the 2020 General Election.

At first, per the RNC lawsuit, Bucks County sought extensions from the deadline Pennsylvania open records laws impose on such requests—but then later formally denied the request. The RNC appealed the denial to the state Office of Open Records, where the request was also denied. This lawsuit is the next step in attempting to procure all that information as the GOP seeks to rein in the left when it comes to election matters in Pennsylvania and other states.

Bucks County is also not the only Pennsylvania where the GOP is fighting this matter. Similar battles are playing out in Berks, Montgomery, Philadelphia, and Allegheny counties as well. Party officials say they are prepared to bring similar lawsuits against other counties that resist the production of these records, like Bucks County is doing.

RNC officials told Breitbart News that during the 2020 election in Pennsylvania, counties lacked uniformity in how absentee ballots were counted and that some counties allowed voters to “cure” what election officials considered “defective ballots” while other counties did not allow curing of ballots—something that the party believes negatively impacted Republican voters, while disparately helping Democrat voters, in the state of Pennsylvania.

The RNC is attempting to, through these efforts, compel counties across Pennsylvania to be transparent in how they process and count absentee ballots—several of these countries are notoriously secretive about the process, as evidenced by the formal denials of the open records requests. What’s more, RNC officials believe that once the information on the process is available and transparent, it could provide the basis for a larger lawsuit and legal action forcing a uniformity statewide on the process of handling absentee ballots.

This latest action comes on the heels of a state court in Pennsylvania in late January striking down Act 77, the state law that retiring Democrat Gov. Tom Wolf used as the basis for the state’s 2020 election activities.

Durham says Democrat-allied tech executive spied on Trump’s White House office

Special counsel John Durham says he is building a case to show the technology executive with whom an indicted Democratic lawyer on the payroll of Hillary Clinton’s campaign was working to build a Trump-Russia collusion narrative gained access to internet traffic at the White House to try and obtain dirt on former President Donald Trump.

Left-wing lawyer Michael Sussmann was indicted last year for allegedly concealing his clients, among them Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, from the FBI when he volunteered since-debunked claims of a secret back channel between the Trump Organization and Russia’s Alfa Bank. Durham revealed in a Friday court filing that he has evidence that Sussmann’s other client (dubbed “Technology Executive-1” but known to be former Neustar Senior Vice President Rodney Joffe) “exploited” domain name system internet traffic at “a particular health care provider” (which was likely Spectrum Health), Trump Tower, Trump’s Central Park West apartment building, and “the Executive Office of the President of the United States.”

The revelations, made as part of a motion for the Washington, D.C., federal court to look into possible conflicts of interest related to Sussmann’s defense team, gave allies of Trump more reason to believe the former president was spied upon, as evidenced by an upsurge in tweets about the latest salve in the so-called Russiagate scandal.

“They didn’t just spy on Donald Trump’s campaign. They spied on Donald Trump as sitting President of the United States. It was all even worse than we thought,” tweeted Mark Meadows, a former congressman who later became Trump’s White House chief of staff.

Kash Patel, an intelligence and defense official in the Trump administration and chief “Russigate” investigator under then-House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, said the filing “shows that the Hillary Clinton campaign directly funded and ordered its lawyers at Perkins Coie to orchestrate a criminal enterprise to fabricate a connection between President Trump and Russia.”

Durham said that “Internet Company-1” accessed “dedicated servers for the EOP as part of a sensitive arrangement whereby it provided DNS resolution services to the EOP” and that Joffe and his associates “exploited this arrangement by mining the EOP’s DNS traffic and other data for the purpose of gathering derogatory information about Donald Trump.”

Joffe alerted Sussmann about the Alfa Bank claims by July 2016, Durham said last year, and “over the ensuing weeks, and as part of their lawyer-client relationship,” Sussmann and Joffe “engaged in efforts with Campaign Lawyer-1” — identifiable as former Perkins Coie lawyer and Clinton campaign general counsel Marc Elias.

Durham said Friday that Sussmann “provided an updated set of allegations — including the Russian Bank-1 data and additional allegations relating to Trump” to another U.S. government agency dubbed “Agency-2,” which is reportedly the CIA. Durham said the allegations Sussmann passed along during the Feb. 9, 2017, meeting relied partly on “the purported DNS traffic that Tech Executive-1 and others had assembled pertaining to Trump Tower, Donald Trump’s New York City apartment building, the EOP, and the aforementioned healthcare provider.”

TRUMP SAYS ‘I HEAR THERE’S A LOT COMING’ IN DURHAM INVESTIGATION

Durham’s team has charged Sussmann with lying to the FBI when pushing the Alfa Bank claims. Sussmann allegedly told FBI General Counsel James Baker in September 2016 that he was not working for any particular client despite doing the bidding of Clinton’s campaign, billing his services to her, as well as working on behalf of Joffe. Sussmann denies any wrongdoing and has pleaded not guilty. Durham insists Sussmann repeated the lie in 2017.

(Bob Child/AP Photo)

The special counsel said Friday that Sussmann “provided data which he claimed reflected purportedly suspicious DNS lookups by these entities of internet protocol addresses affiliated with a Russian mobile phone provider” during the February 2017 meeting, and Sussmann “claimed that these lookups demonstrated that Trump and/or his associates were using supposedly rare, Russian-made wireless phones in the vicinity of the White House and other locations.” Durham said this assertion was likely highly misleading or outright false.

“The Special Counsel’s Office has identified no support for these allegations,” he wrote. “Indeed, more complete DNS data that the Special Counsel’s Office obtained from a company that assisted Tech Executive-1 in assembling these allegations reflects that such DNS lookups were far from rare in the United States.”

Durham added: “For example, the more complete data that Tech Executive-1 and his associates gathered — but did not provide to Agency-2 — reflected that between approximately 2014 and 2017, there were a total of more than 3 million lookups of Russian Phone-Provider-1 IP addresses that originated with U.S.-based IP addresses. Fewer than 1,000 of these lookups originated with IP addresses affiliated with Trump Tower. In addition, the more complete data assembled by Tech Executive-1 and his associates reflected that DNS lookups involving the EOP and Russian Phone Provider-1 began at least as early 2014 (i.e., during the Obama administration and years before Trump took office) — another fact which the allegations omitted.”

Durham pointed to the indictment of Sussmann, which alleged beginning in July 2016 Joffe worked with Sussmann, Fusion GPS (which had been hired by Perkins Coie), numerous cyber researchers, and employees at multiple internet companies to put together the Alfa Bank claims. While doing this, Durham said Joffe “exploited his access to non-public and/or proprietary Internet data.” The special counsel said Joffe “also enlisted the assistance of researchers at a U.S.-based university,” Georgia Tech, “who were receiving and analyzing large amounts of Internet data in connection with a pending federal government cybersecurity research contract” — likely from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Durham said Joffe tasked those researchers to mine internet data to establish “an inference” and “narrative” tying then-candidate Trump to Russia. Durham said Joffe indicated he was doing this to please certain “VIPs” at Perkins Coie and on the Clinton campaign.

The Washington Examiner reached out to an attorney for Joffe for comment.

“Durham states that Sussman and Mark Elias (Perkins Coie) hired the internet executive, Rodney Joffe and his team to establish an ‘inference and narrative’ tying President Trump to Russia,” Patel said in his statement on Durham’s new filing.

RATCLIFFE SAYS 1,000 INTEL DOCUMENTS GIVEN TO DURHAM SUPPORT MORE CHARGES

“Durham writes he has evidence showing Joffe and his tech company obtained a ‘sensitive arrangement’ where they were able to infiltrate White House servers. Per Durham, this arrangement was put in motion in July of 2016, meaning the Hillary Clinton Campaign and her lawyers masterminded the most intricate and coordinated conspiracy against Trump when he was both a candidate and later President of the United States while simultaneously perpetuating the bogus Steele Dossier hoax,” Patel added. “Per the pleading, the government will also show that Joffe, at the direction of Sussman/Elias and the Clinton Campaign, exploited proprietary data, to hack Trump Tower and the Eisenhower Executive Office Building (EEOB) to establish a false narrative, which Sussman later relayed to U.S. agencies in the hopes of having them launch investigations of President Trump.”

Last month, Durham’s team said it had met with DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz in October and followed up with a discovery request for information relevant to its inquiry into the Russia investigation origins. Horowitz provided records, including a report about a “cyber-related matter” that Sussmann brought to the inspector general’s attention in early 2017.

The cyber report said Sussmann told an agent in Horowitz’s office that one of Sussmann’s clients claimed a DOJ inspector general employee’s computer was “seen publicly” in “internet traffic” and had connected to a virtual private network in a foreign country.

(AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

What Horowitz failed to reveal, according to Durham, was that he personally met with Sussmann in March 2017 to discuss the mysterious report. Durham only learned of that meeting during a Jan. 20 call with Sussmann’s lawyers, according to the filing, and the DOJ watchdog discussed it with Durham’s team for the first time the next day after being asked about it. Durham says Sussmann was working on behalf of Joffe related to this “cyber issue.”

The Friday filing by Durham asked the presiding judge “to inquire into potential conflicts of interest arising from the representation of the defendant by his current counsel” at the Latham & Watkins law firm, saying the special counsel team discussed this with Sussmann’s lawyers “and believes that any potential conflicts likely could be addressed with a knowing and voluntary waiver by the defendant.” Durham said Sussmann “presently intends to waive any potential conflict of interest.”

The special counsel said “possible that conflicts of interest could arise” from Latham previously representing others in the Durham investigation whose interests may conflict with those of Sussmann. The firm previously represented Sussmann and his prior employer, Perkins Coie, in connection with events Durham said likely will be relevant at trial and that Latham “maintained professional and/or personal relationships with individuals who could be witnesses in these proceedings.”

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

The Alfa Bank allegations began to emerge publicly in the closing weeks of the 2016 election. On Oct. 31 of that year, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton tweeted: “Computer scientists have apparently uncovered a covert server linking the Trump Organization to a Russian-based bank.” Clinton also shared a lengthy statement from Clinton campaign adviser Jake Sullivan, now President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, who claimed that “this secret hotline may be the key to unlocking the mystery of Trump’s ties to Russia.”

Horowitz, the DOJ inspector general, said in his December 2019 report on the Russia investigation that the FBI “concluded by early February 2017 that there were no such links” between Alfa Bank and the Trump Organization.

“The latest pleading from Special Counsel Robert Durham provides indisputable evidence that my campaign and presidency were spied on by operatives paid by the Hillary Clinton Campaign in an effort to develop a completely fabricated connection to Russia,” Trump said in a statement issued by his Save America PAC on Saturday. “This is a scandal far greater in scope and magnitude than Watergate, and those who were involved in and knew about this spying operation should be subject to criminal prosecution. In a stronger period of time in our country, this crime would have been punishable by death. In addition, reparations should be paid to those in our country who have been damaged by this.”

Durham began the investigation in the spring of 2019 at the behest of then-Attorney General William Barr. Under the Biden administration, Durham left his role as the U.S. attorney in Connecticut but was allowed to continue the investigation as special counsel. Roughly $3.8 million was spent across a nearly one-year period ending on Sept. 30 for the special counsel’s work.

The so-called “investigation into the investigators” has lasted longer than Robert Mueller’s special counsel investigation into alleged ties between the Trump 2016 campaign and Russia, which cost nearly $32 million.

Durham told a federal court in December that he was scrutinizing members of Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign as part of his criminal inquiry. The special counsel’s team asked a judge to “inquire into a potential conflict of interest” related to the lawyers for British ex-spy Christopher Steele’s main anti-Trump dossier source, Igor Danchenko, noting that a separate lawyer at their firm “is currently representing the 2016 ‘Hillary for America’ presidential campaign, as well as multiple former employees of that campaign, in matters before the Special Counsel.”

(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Danchenko, a U.S.-based and Russian-born researcher, was charged with five counts of making false statements to the FBI. Durham’s indictment said Danchenko made these statements about the information he provided to Steele for his now-discredited dossier, which the FBI relied upon when pursuing authority for the secret surveillance of former Trump campaign aide Carter Page. Danchenko has pleaded not guilty.

Horowitz, the DOJ watchdog, concluded in December 2019 that Steele’s dossier played a “central and essential” role in the FBI’s effort to obtain wiretap orders against Page. The DOJ watchdog determined the FBI’s investigation was filled with serious missteps and errors and concealed potentially exculpatory information from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. The inspector general also said Danchenko undermined Steele’s claims of a “well-developed conspiracy” between Trump and Russia.

Ex-FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith pleaded guilty to editing an email fraudulently to say Page was “not a source” for the CIA and was sentenced to a year of probation.

Durham’s endeavor has long been criticized by Democrats and legal observers who claim the inquiry is meant to undercut Mueller’s special counsel investigation. Trump and his allies have championed the investigation as a means to root out corrupt officials and settle political scores.

Attorney General Merrick Garland told lawmakers in October that Durham has free rein under his watch.

“We’re now in a new fiscal year, and as everyone knows, Mr. Durham is continuing. So I think you can readily assume that his budget has been approved,” Garland said, adding, “We don’t normally make a statement about those things, but since he’s still in action, the provisions of the regulation which require approval of his budget for the next fiscal year are public, so I think … you would know if he weren’t continuing to do his work.”

Orlando Magic honored Lake Wales veteran, Kathryn “Kat” Gates-Skipper, a local retired U.S. Marine, for her service during a basketball game on Friday evening.  Kat was formally recognized for her military service by honoring her as a “hometown hero.”

“Kat” served 20 years in active reserve and became the first female marine in combat operations. Her achievements inducting her into the Florida Veterans Hall of Fame. She is married to an Army veteran, and they have had two sons together: one in the Navy, and one in the Air Force.

Orlando Magic periodically recognizes first responders, fire fighters, police officers, medical professionals, or military personnel as a “hometown hero” during their games.

“We look forward to receiving nominations for any and all Central Florida heroes,” its website states. “We love seeing nominations for individuals who play a big part in our community and have been recognized for specific achievements.”

Kat was previously scheduled to be recognized at an Orlando Magic game two years ago, but that honor was postponed, along with most games, following the start of the ongoing pandemic.

Prior to the game, the arena hosted a presentation with an announcement on the Jumbotron with pictures of Kat in military uniform and a brief biography of her life and achievements. The national anthem was then performed by a children’s choir prior to the game’s start.

“They took really good care for us,” Kat said. “It made me queen for the day.”

Her favorite part of the game was being able to enjoy it with her family, especially her grandson. He enjoys basketball, and being able to watch a game in person is better than watching it on television, she said.

“I was happy to have one of my children and grandson to recognize my recognition,” she said. “That overwhelmed my heart.”

While she appreciated the honor for her military service, Kat humbly admits that her motivation is purely for the love of her fellow Americans, especially her fellow retired veterans.

“I do things not to give anything in return, but it does make you feel good when people respect you and appreciate the things that you do for others,” she said. “I am just so appreciative that magic would honor me as their hometown hero, and it is good they have such a program available to do that, and I was glad to be a part of it.”

This week, as the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing begin, Senator Rick Scott introduced two pieces of legislation to hold Communist China accountable for its gross abuses in the Uyghur homeland, Tibet, Hong Kong and Taiwan, and create consequences for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for its willingness to help Beijing whitewash its human rights violations.

First, Senator Scott joined Congressman Michael Waltz in introducing the bicameral and bipartisan Irresponsible Olympic Collaboration (IOC) Act to strip the IOC of its 501(c)(4) tax-exempt status. 

Additionally, Senator Scott and Senator Mark Warner introduced a bipartisan resolution calling on the Chinese Communist Party to guarantee the safety and freedom of tennis star Peng Shuai, and rebuking the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for its failure to clearly and forcefully challenge the Chinese Communist Party’s claims about Peng Shuai’s safety.

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See more of what Senator Scott has been up to this week below.

This week, as the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing begin, Senator Rick Scott introduced two pieces of legislation to hold Communist China accountable for its gross abuses in the Uyghur homeland, Tibet, Hong Kong and Taiwan, and create consequences for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for its willingness to help Beijing whitewash its human rights violations. First, Senator Scott joined Congressman Michael Waltz in introducing the bicameral and bipartisan Irresponsible Olympic Collaboration (IOC) Act to strip the IOC of its 501(c)(4) tax-exempt status.  Additionally, Senator Scott and Senator Mark Warner introduced a bipartisan resolution calling on the Chinese Communist Party to guarantee the safety and freedom of tennis star Peng Shuai, and rebuking the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for its failure to clearly and forcefully challenge the Chinese Communist Party’s claims about Peng Shuai’s safety. — See more of what Senator Scott has been up to this week below.

Democrats Block Sen. Rick Scott’s Bill Stopping Purchase of Chinese-Made COVID Tests with Taxpayer Dollars Senator Rick Scott asked for unanimous consent on the Senate floor to pass his No Taxpayer Dollars for Communist Chinese COVID Tests Act, a bill that would prohibit the use of federal funds to purchase at-home tests for COVID-19 that are imported from, or manufactured in, Communist China. Senator Scott and Senator Roger Marshall introduced this bill following the Biden administration’s purchase of $1.28 billion worth of COVID-19 at-home tests from iHealth Labs Inc., a unit of Andon Health Co., a medical device manufacturer headquartered in Communist China. Senate Democrats blocked its passage. Senator Rick Scott said, “It is imperative that the federal government do everything in its power to complete our public health mission in a cost-effective manner that prioritizes support for domestic manufacturing. Unfortunately, instead of supporting American manufacturing, the Biden administration is handing nearly $1.3 billion of taxpayer funds to a company in Communist China. The Biden administration’s willingness to fund the Communist Chinese economy, instead of the American economy, is a disgrace. And Senate Democrats’ decision to block my bill to support American jobs so that they can cover for the president’s failure is a dereliction of duty and a shameful choice to again appease Communist China.” See more HERE or in the video below. Sens. Rick Scott and Tillis Lead Letter to DHS Demanding Answers on Illegal Immigrants Using ICE Arrest Warrants to Board Airplanes Senator Rick Scott joined Senator Thom Tillis and colleagues in sending a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas regarding the alarming news that illegal immigrants are being permitted to use Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrest warrants as an acceptable form of identification by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to board airplanes. Read more from Sen. Tillis’ office HERE.  Sens. Rick Scott and Gary Peters Bipartisan Bill to Mitigate Waste, Fraud and Abuse Following Natural Disasters Advances in Senate The Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) approved Senators Rick Scott and Gary Peters’ bipartisan Disaster Contract Improvement Act to improve the disaster contracting process on the federal, local and state levels of government following natural disasters and mitigate waste, fraud and abuse. The bill will protect victims of natural disasters by ensuring post-disaster services are delivered quickly and taxpayer dollars are spent solely on helping impacted communities. The Disaster Contract Improvement Act now heads to the full Senate for consideration. Senator Jacky Rosen joined as a cosponsor of the bill. Senator Rick Scott said, “Florida, unfortunately, is no stranger to natural disasters. Every year, hurricanes impact families and businesses across the state. But Florida is resilient because of the intense preparation that goes into our disaster readiness planning. But, even when we prepare, all too often we have seen waste, fraud and abuse following storms. It hurts our families, local governments, and the American taxpayer. My bill, the Disaster Contracting Improvement Act, will help stop this waste and make sure that every dollar is spent with care, preserving resources for future disaster response efforts. I want to thank Chairman Peters and my HSGAC colleagues for coming together to advance this good, bipartisan bill. The Disaster Contracting Improvement Act is a win for American taxpayers and I look forward to it passing the full Senate soon.” Read more HERE. Sen. Rick Scott to Sec. Blinken: Pan American Health Organization Must be Held Accountable for Human Trafficking Senator Rick Scott sent the following letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken again urging him and President Joe Biden to lift the legal immunity of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). PAHO has worked with the illegitimate communist Cuban regime to traffic Cuban doctors around the world. Senator Scott strongly believes that these doctors deserve the chance to pursue justice in the courts and hold their traffickers, and those who aided in their trafficking, responsible for their abuses. In the letter, Senator Scott makes clear that he will refuse to consent to expedited floor consideration of all relevant State Department nominees until substantial steps toward fulfilling this request are made. Read more HERE. El Senador Rick Scott al Sec. Blinken: La Organización Panamericana de la Salud debe rendir cuentas por la trata de personas El Senador Rick Scott envió una carta al Secretario de Estado Antony Blinken instándolo nuevamente a él y al Presidente Joe Biden a levantar la inmunidad legal de la Organización Panamericana de la Salud (OPS). La OPS ha trabajado con el ilegítimo régimen comunista cubano para traficar médicos cubanos alrededor del mundo. El Senador Scott cree firmemente que estos médicos merecen la oportunidad de buscar justicia en los tribunales y responsabilizar a los traficantes por estas violaciones. En la carta, el Senador Scott deja en claro que se negará a dar su consentimiento para la consideración expedita de todos los nominados relevantes del Departamento de Estado hasta que se tomen medidas sustanciales para cumplir con esta solicitud. Lea más AQUÍ. Sen. Rick Scott Leads Colleagues in Introducing Bill to Prevent Weaponization of OSHA Senator Rick Scott led Senators Joni Ernst, Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, Cynthia Lummis, John Barrasso and Dan Sullivan in introducing the OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard Clarification Act. Following the Supreme Court’s recent decision to strike down President Joe Biden’s overreaching and unconstitutional vaccine mandate on private businesses, this legislation prevents further unlawful, sweeping mandates by clarifying the true authority of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)’s emergency temporary standards.  Senator Rick Scott said, “Hardworking Americans and job creators across the country watched in disgust last year as the Biden administration attempted to misuse a federal agency to impose an unconstitutional vaccine mandate on private businesses. While we are thankful that the Supreme Court confirmed what my colleagues and I have been saying for months – that Joe Biden has no authority to tell Americans how to live their life and what health care decisions they must make – further action is clearly needed to make sure this never happens again. Today, I’m proud to lead my colleagues to introduce legislation that clarifies OSHA’s authority and prevents Joe Biden from using this agency as a political weapon. American jobs are on the line and we must do everything possible to protect our families and their ability to make a living.” Read more HERE. Sens. Rick Scott, Gary Peters Applaud Committee Passage of Bipartisan Bill Ensuring Federal Property and Assets Are Disaster Resilient, Saving Taxpayers Dollars Senators Rick Scott and Gary Peters applauded the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee’s passage of their bipartisan Disaster Resiliency Planning Act, which would require federal agencies to account for disaster resilience when making investments in and managing federal property and assets. Senator Rick Scott said, “Florida is resilient because we prepare. We invested in pre-disaster mitigation and saw big returns for Florida families and our communities after each storm. Preparedness saves lives and dollars. I want to thank my colleagues on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee for coming together to pass this bipartisan and commonsense approach to disaster resiliency. The Disaster Resiliency Planning Act will ensure core federal assets and federal property, like hospitals and critical infrastructure, are safer when disaster strike so families across the U.S. can stay safe. I look forward to this important bill’s full passage when it is brought to the Senate floor.” Read more from the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee HERE. Sen. Rick Scott and Rep. Stefanik Lead Legislation to Counter Chinese Drones Senators Rick Scott, Marco Rubio and Tom Cotton introduced the Countering CCP Drones Act to add Communist Chinese drone company Da-Jiang Innovations (DJI) to the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Covered List which identifies telecommunication equipment that poses an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States. All companies in Communist China are required to comply with government orders to conduct and assist in espionage activities, which poses a clear threat to America’s national security. Earlier this week, the Washington Post confirmed that the Communist Chinese government is an investor in DJI, which supplies 50% of drones sold in the U.S., directly contradicting DJI’s prior public statements. Congresswoman Elise Stefanik introduced the companion legislation in the House of Representatives this week. Senator Rick Scott said, “Communist China funds technology, like drones made by DJI, to spy on Americans and steal their data. The United States Government should under no circumstance purchase drones made in Communist China and put our national security at risk and that’s why my colleagues and I introduced the American Security Drone Act. The Countering CCP Drones Act is the next step to ensure that federal funds from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) cannot be used to obtain communications equipment and services produced or provided by DJI. I’m proud to introduce this important bill in the Senate and urge my colleagues to join me in support.” Read more HERE. Sen. Rick Scott Introduces Legislation to Strip International Olympics Committee of Tax-Exempt Status As the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing begin, Senator Rick Scott joined Congressman Michael Waltz in introducing the bicameral and bipartisan Irresponsible Olympic Collaboration (IOC) Act in the U.S. Senate. This bill, which Congressman Waltz introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this month, would strip the International Olympics Committee (IOC) of its 501(c)(4) tax-exempt status. The legislation would not affect the Paralympic Committee’s tax-exempt status. Since 1992, the IOC has been recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(4) tax-exempt organization. However, in recent years, the IOC has given billions to authoritarian regimes, including $880 million to Communist China for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games and $1.25 billion for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. The IOC has provided these funds despite international outcries regarding human rights abuses and atrocities committed by the Chinese Communist Party. Senator Rick Scott said, “The IOC must answer for its complete failure to address or even acknowledge the horrific human rights abuses and genocide occurring at the hands of the Chinese Communist Party. In helping Communist China whitewash its crimes and abuses, the IOC has lost all credibility and forfeited its ability to operate as a tax-exempt entity. In the United States, we unapologetically stand for human rights and democracy, and Congress must make clear that our taxpayers will never be asked to subsidize the operations of an organization that so shamelessly profits from business with such an evil regime.” Read more HERE. Sen. Rick Scott and Sen. Mark Warner Introduce Resolution Condemning Communist China’s Silencing of Peng Shuai As the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing begin, Senator Rick Scott and Senator Mark Warner led their colleagues to introduce a bipartisan resolution calling on the Chinese Communist Party to guarantee the safety and freedom of tennis star Peng Shuai, and rebuking the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for its failure to clearly and forcefully challenge the Chinese Communist Party’s claims about Peng’s safety. The resolution was cosponsored by Senators Shelly Moore Capito, Sherrod Brown, John Hoeven, Ron Wyden, Ted Cruz, Jeff Merkley, Mike Braun, Chris Van Hollen, Marsha Blackburn, Bob Casey, Tom Cotton, Raphael Warnock, Ron Johnson and Jeanne Shaheen A companion resolution led by Congressman Michael Waltz and Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton was unanimously passed the U.S. House of Representatives in December 2021. Senator Rick Scott said, “The recent disappearance of Peng Shuai has shocked the world and exposed the disturbing lack of basic rights and human decency experienced by the Chinese people at the hand of General Secretary Xi’s ruthless communist regime. No one, especially the IOC, should ignore what happened to Ms. Shuai or attempt to move past this horrifying incident simply to avoid confrontation with Communist China. This bipartisan resolution, which has already unanimously passed the House, makes clear that the United States will not tolerate these kind of gross abuses and continues to stand for freedom for all people. I’m thankful for all of my colleagues’ support on this resolution, and I look forward to its quick passage in the Senate.” Read more HERE. Sen. Rick Scott & Rep. Daniel Webster Request Information on Biden’s Cataloging of Federal Employees’ Religious Beliefs Senator Rick Scott and Congressman Daniel Webster led 40 of their colleagues in a bicameral letter to the Comptroller General of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) after the District of Columbia’s Pretrial Services Agency (PSA) published a notice of its intent to create a database known as the “Employee Religious Exception Request Information System.” The letter requests that GAO determine whether the notice constitutes a rule for purposes of the Congressional Review Act, which Congress can invoke to overturn an agency’s action. The letter was signed by Senators Thom Tillis, Mike Braun, Roger Marshall, Jim Inhofe, Marco Rubio and James Lankford, along with Representatives Bill Posey, Scott Perry, Jeff Duncan, Randy Weber, Doug Lamborn, Ronny L. Jackson, Bob Good, Andy Biggs, Doug LaMalfa, Brian Mast, Glenn Grothman, Jody Hice, Gus Bilirakis, Louie Gohmert, Eric A. “Rick” Crawford, Mary E. Miller, Lauren Boebert, Tom Tiffany, Warren Davidson, Robert B. Aderholt, Ralph Norman, Dr. John Joyce, Brian Babin, D.D.S., Mo Brooks, Ben Cline, Jim Jordan, Jason Smith, Michael Waltz, Kat Cammack, Lisa McClain, Dan Bishop, Vicky Hartzler, Tom McClintock and Byron Donalds. This records system is a central database, maintained by the Office of Management and Budget, that tracks the names, religious affiliation, religious beliefs, personally identifying information and other data of federal employees who have requested religious exemptions to the Biden Administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate on federal employees. More than 20 federal agencies, including the Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security and Department of Transportation, have issued similar notices to maintain databases tracking employees’ religious beliefs, and these lists will be shared between federal agencies. Read more HERE. Sen. Rick Scott: America is $30,000,000,000,000 in Debt Senator Rick Scott issued the following statement following the U.S. Treasury’s announcement that the United States’ gross national debt has surpassed $30 TRILLION, which equates to $239,800 per U.S. taxpayer. Senator Rick Scott said, “Today is a sad day for the United States of America. For years, I have been warning about the devastating consequences of our rapidly rising federal debt, but its fallen on deaf ears in Washington. We should be clear – the situation we find ourselves in is not the fault of one party, it’s a total failure of the federal government to take care of the precious taxpayer resources provided by the American people. But, in the face of this looming threat, Democrats have chosen not to reverse course, but throw even more gasoline on the fire and rush to spend trillions more without any accountability to the taxpayer. It is our responsibility to put structural reforms in place, like the multiple pieces of legislation I have introduced over the last three years, to get our country back on the path to economic prosperity and leave the Biden and the Democrats’ reckless tax-and-spend agenda behind. In Florida, we have proven that the path to economic strength and stability is paved by cutting taxes, cutting burdensome regulations and mandates and making sure families have every opportunity to thrive in safe neighborhoods. It’s time for Joe Biden to follow our lead and put our country back on the right track. He owes nothing less to America’s future generations.” Read more HERE. Sen. Rick Scott Issues Weekly Update on Biden’s Inflation Crisis Senator Rick Scott released a weekly update on his actions to address America’s debt crisis and rising inflation. Since being elected to the U.S. Senate, Senator Scott has urged government accountability to the American taxpayer. Read more HERE.

The Hill: GOP Senator Calls Out The Olympics For Whitewashing China’s Human Rights Abuses Newsweek: Senator Rick Scott, Other Elected Leaders Denounce Antisemitic Rallies Held in Florida The Daily Caller: EXCLUSIVE: CNN Responds To GOP Senators Over CNN Turk Conditions Forbes: Rick Scott Urges NBC To ‘Talk About The Atrocities’ Committed By China During Olympics Newsmax: Sen. Rick Scott Blasts Biden on Secret Flights for Migrants Gray TV: Bill to stop importing at-home COVID tests made in China blocked in Senate Palm Beach Daily News: Sen. Scott participates in antisemitism events at Palm Beach Synagogue WFLA: ‘Disgusting’: Rick Scott, other officials condemn anti-Semitic rallies in Central Florida Cox Media: Group of Senators push for closed briefing on Afghanistan troop withdrawal to be open to public Florida Daily: Rick Scott: More than 2 Million Illegal Immigrants Entered U.S. in 2021 and Biden is Doing Nothing Monitoreamos: Rick Scott: “Hay que recuperar la libertad y la democracia en Venezuela” Voz de America: SOT Rick Scott sobre negociación con Ortega Voz de America: SOT Rick Scott- informe Telemundo

Sen. Rick Scott Receives “Champion of Freedom” Award from Christian Family Coalition On Saturday, January 29th, Senator Scott was honored to receive the “Champion of Freedom” award from the Christian Family Coalition, and delivered remarks at their annual dinner in Ft. Myers. Senator Rick Scott’s Staff Holds Mobile Office Hours This week, Senator Scott’s staff held mobile office hours in Orlando and Palm Bay to connect with constituents and help with issues involving federal federal agencies.

TALLAHASSEE 111 N. Adams Street, Suite 208 Tallahassee, FL 32301 Phone: (850) 942-8415 WEST PALM BEACH  415 Clematis Street, Suite 201 West Palm Beach, FL 33401 Phone: (561) 514-0189 TAMPA 801 North Florida Avenue, Suite 421 Tampa, FL 33602 Phone: (813) 225-7040 KISSIMMEE  1 Courthouse Square, Suite 300 Kissimmee, FL 34741 Phone: (407) 586-7879 PENSACOLA  221 Palafox Place, Suite 420 Pensacola, FL 32502 Phone: (850) 760-5151 MIAMI  901 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Suite 505 Miami, FL 33134 Phone: (786) 501-7141 NAPLES 3299 Tamiami Trail East, #106  Naples, FL 34112 Phone: (239) 231-7890 JACKSONVILLE 400 West Bay Street, Suite 289 Jacksonville, FL 32202 Phone: (904) 479-7227 ORLANDO 225 East Robinson Street, Suite 410 Orlando, FL 32801  Phone: (407) 872-7161   WASHINGTON, D.C. 716 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Phone: (202) 224-5274     Fax: (202) 228-4535

RNC Building ‘Army’ of GOP Poll Workers After Decades-Long Court-Ordered Hiatus

Breitbart, Ashley Oliver

January 26, 2022

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2022/01/26/rnc-building-army-of-gop-poll-workers-after-decades-long-court-ordered-hiatus/

The Republican National Committee (RNC) is ramping up Republican presence at the polls this year by enlisting thousands of poll workers ahead of the midterms, an operation it legally could not run for nearly 40 years prior to 2018.

The committee is using this week specifically — the week of “Poll Worker Recruitment Day,” which officially took place Tuesday — to capitalize on its millions of Republican contacts by pushing out directives for people to become involved at the polls as both watchers and official workers.

“If elections are the cornerstone of democracy, then transparent and secure elections are one of the most important offerings that the RNC can have,” RNC spokeswoman Danielle Alvarez told Breitbart News. “And it happens to be the first cycle that we can get involved and stand up this operation the way that RNC chairwoman [Ronna] McDaniel has envisioned.”

The RNC is the primary campaign arm of the Republican Party and poured more than $800 million into electing Republican candidates in the last election cycle.

The committee however, unlike the Democratic National Committee (DNC), was prohibited under a 1982 consent decree from engaging in certain aspects of the election process — such as recruiting its own people to monitor polls on Election Day — up through December 2017, when the decree expired.

The consent decree was the result of a settlement with the DNC after the DNC sued its Republican counterpart for allegedly intimidating voters in predominantly Democrat areas of New Jersey during the state’s ultra-tight 1981 gubernatorial contest, as reported at the time by the Herald-News.

In a 2020 op-ed in the Washington Post, McDaniel detailed the numerous longstanding limitations the consent decree had placed on her organization and wrote of its newfound freedom that “the playing field” was “level again.”

“Democrats are deploying an ‘army of poll watchers’ this November, and for the first time in decades the Republican Party can too,” McDaniel wrote in August 2020.

While 2018 marked the first year after the consent decree that the RNC could partake in certain election activities, and 2020 marked the first year it could do so in a presidential race, 2021 and 2022 are the first election years where the RNC is operating independently of a campaign.

It previously worked under the umbrella of the Trump campaign. “What you’ll see in 2022 is fully housed under the RNC,” Alvarez explained.

Hello Friend,

Welcome to my e-newsletter, the Ready Room. As a retired Naval Aviator, the Ready Room is special to me because it’s where fellow aviators meet to brief and debrief missions. This is my weekly briefing to you on my mission in Congress. Please follow me on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram  and YouTube for regular updates on how my team and I are working to serve you in Congress.

Mobile Office Hours Bring My Team to You

Constituent services are a top priority when serving our community. On Thursday, January 20th, my team will be in Riverview hosting another Mobile Office Hours outreach event at the Greater Riverview Chamber of Commerce from 9:00-11:30am. Time slots are available in 15 minute increments. If the available time slots do not fit your schedule, please call our District Office at (863) 644-8215 or email [email protected]. Register to attend by clicking here .

Rejecting Unconstitutional Attempts to Federalize Elections

Florida Residents in Line to Vote in Polk County

Our Constitution clearly outlines the role of the federal government and the role of our states. Sadly, my Democrat colleagues are attempting to undermine our Constitution and state’s rights by federalizing our election process. Last week, I opposed an attempt to circumvent normal legislative process and force unconstitutional election policies through Congress. Article I, Section 4, of the U.S. Constitution clearly states, “The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof.” In order to safeguard state’s right’s, I will continue to hold Congress and the executive branch in check. Congressional Democrats took a NASA bill and stripped out its contents to insert a federal election bill to circumvent Senate rules and try to avoid the filibuster. These dirty legislative gimmicks are exactly why the American people are fed up with Congress. I will always stand up for the Constitution and against attempts to undermine our democratic process. While the bill passed the House, it still faces an uphill battle in the Senate.

Constituent Corner

The US Embassy in Georgetown, Guyana 

Nelson, a constituent and Tampa resident, recently contacted my office for help with his mother’s immigration to the United States from Cuba. Immigrant visas to the U.S. for Cubans are processed at the U.S. Embassy in Guyana, but Nelson was having trouble scheduling an appointment for his mother. We helped his mother secure an appointment and obtain a visa to live in Florida with her son. If you need assistance with a government agency, please call my Lakeland office at (863) 644-8215 or visit my website at  franklin.house.gov .

I’m honored to represent you in Congress. For more information on constituent services, current legislation and to sign up for my e-newsletter, please visit my website at franklin.house.gov . 

Best regards,

C. Scott Franklin
Member of Congress

Polk County REC State Committeewoman Amilee Stuckey was given the 2022 Pro Bono Service Award for the 10th Circuit at the State Supreme Court on January 20, 2022.  Each year, the Florida Supreme Court and The Florida Bar honor and recognize lawyers, groups and members of the judiciary who have freely given their time and expertise in ensuring access to justice for those who otherwise could not afford it.

Honorees for the annual pro bono awards can be nominated by legal aid groups, fellow lawyers or anyone else who knows of exceptional pro bono service provided by a lawyer, judge, voluntary bar or law firm. For circuit awards, honorees are recommended by circuit committees and approved by The Florida Bar president. A committee of the Young Lawyers Division (YLD) of The Florida Bar chooses the YLD honoree. The Chief Justice’s Pro Bono Advisory Committee recommends the remaining honorees to the chief justice of the Florida Supreme Court, who makes the final decision.

WASHINGTON – Today, (January 18, 2022) the Republican National Committee (RNC) sent the following letter to the Committee on Presidential Debates (CPD), following the correspondence we initiated in June. 

______________________________________________________________

Dear Mr. Fahrenkopf and Mr. Wollack:

The RNC responds to your letter of December 14, continuing the correspondence we initiated in June. The RNC has shared our concerns with the CPD in good faith, carefully documenting why the party and its voters have lost faith in your organization, and we have proposed commonsense reforms that would restore trust in the debates process. Unfortunately, neither the tone nor substance of your latest response inspires confidence that the CPD will meaningfully address the serious issues which the RNC has raised.

For reference, a brief timeline of our communications is as follows:

• Beginning with phone conversations on March 22 and April 5, 2021 and continuing with an in-person meeting on May 6, the RNC raised its concerns through discussions between CPD Co-Chair Fahrenkopf and RNC Member David Bossie, who serves as Chair of the RNC’s Temporary Presidential Debates Committee.
• On June 1 the RNC wrote to the CPD outlining its serious missteps and the partisan actions of its board members, explaining that these actions have damaged the RNC’s faith that the CPD can provide a fair and impartial forum for presidential debates, and proposing reforms to address these concerns.
• On July 12 David Bossie, RNC Chief of Staff Richard Walters, and I met with CPD CoChair Fahrenkopf via Zoom to discuss the RNC’s concerns.
• On July 15 the CPD responded, stating that it would keep the RNC’s concerns “in mind” during its internal review of the 2020 debates but declining to address any of the specific issues raised, other than stating that it would be “mindful” of the “early voting issue” as it schedules presidential debates for 2024.
• On October 1 the RNC responded asking if the CPD intended to adopt any of the proposed reforms. Noting the lack of transparency in the CPD’s internal decisionmaking, the RNC further requested that the CPD adopt a policy permitting any political party whose nominee participated in the previous election cycle’s debates to appoint a nonvoting observer to attend CPD Board meetings. 
• On November 15 I hosted CPD Co-Chair Fahrenkopf at the RNC to discuss these issues in person. The meeting was cordial but yielded no firm indication that the CPD is committed to addressing the RNC’s concerns.
• On December 14 the CPD responded again declining any firm commitment toward reform, while stating that it “answers to no political party or candidate” and “does not negotiate the terms or conditions of [its] operations with anyone.” The CPD did state that it will consider scheduling issues related to early voting, the partisan activities of its board members, and moderator selection processes as part of its internal “quadrennial review.” However, the CPD also refused to allow nonvoting observers to attend its Board meetings, claiming that doing so might jeopardize its status as a nonpartisan organization.

The RNC’s concerns strike at the core of whether the CPD credibly can provide a fair and impartial forum for presidential debates. The CPD’s failures, which the RNC has outlined, are fundamental. These include:

• Waiting until after early voting had already begun to host the first presidential debate;
• Making unilateral changes to previously agreed-upon debate formats and conditions, in some cases without even notifying the candidates;
• Selecting a moderator who had once worked for the Democrat nominee, a glaring conflict of interest; and
• Failing to maintain the organization’s strict nonpartisanship, with a majority of its Board Members publicly disparaging the Republican nominee.

The CPD must address these glaring failures if the organization is to have any credibility with the Republican Party and its 74 million voters moving forward. To do this, the CPD should enact the following much-needed reforms:

• Adopt term limits for its Board of Directors, several members of which have served for more than a decade;
• Commit to holding at least one debate before the start of early voting, and in no case after the deadline for states to mail absentee ballots to uniformed and overseas voters;
• Enact a code of conduct prohibiting CPD officers, directors, and staff from making public comments supporting or opposing any candidate, or otherwise engaging in partisan political activity in connection with the presidential election, with meaningful consequences for violations;
• Establish transparent criteria for selecting debate moderators that would disqualify individuals from consideration who have apparent conflicts of interest due to personal, professional, or partisan factors; and 
• Enact a transparent code of conduct for moderators in conducting debates, including guidelines for appropriate interactions with the participating nominees, with meaningful penalties for violations.

These proposals are common sense solutions for an organization whose unique, nonpartisan role in American elections requires it to stand above the political fray. Indeed, we believe that Page 3 of 3 most neutral observers would be shocked to learn that these overdue reforms are not already CPD policy.

Unfortunately, the CPD’s responses so far seem designed to delay any reform until it is too late to matter for the 2024 election. The RNC initiated this dialogue on behalf of its future nominee, who will undoubtedly meet any debate participation criteria. As you know that individual will have little opportunity to have this dialogue with the CPD given the short window between his or her nomination and the first debate. By then the CPD will have already completed its “quadrennial review,” structural changes will be impossible, and planning for the 2024 presidential debates will essentially be complete. The RNC therefore cannot simply “wait and see,” as the CPD seems to suggest, but must act now. To do otherwise would forestall any meaningful reform and conveniently leave the CPD unaccountable for another election cycle.

We are especially frustrated with the CPD’s refusal to enact reforms aimed at ensuring nonpartisanship by claiming that doing so would somehow render the organization more partisan. The RNC has made clear that it understands the need for the CPD to be nonpartisan, and in fact has initiated this dialogue toward that end. As the RNC has proposed, one easy measure to restore trust would be to allow a representative from parties that have participated in past debates to observe CPD Board meetings, not on the basis of partisan affiliation, but on a party’s respective candidate having met the previous cycle’s debate participation criteria. We fail to see how that specific proposal, or any of the RNC’s other recommendations for that matter, would jeopardize the CPD’s nonpartisanship, as you suggest. Instead, the Commission appears more concerned about the supposed “partisanship” of allowing recent participants to observe its Board meetings than it is of its own partisan actions and those of its members and moderators.

The RNC has a duty to ensure that its future presidential nominees have the opportunity to debate their opponents on a level playing field. So long as the CPD appears intent on stonewalling the meaningful reforms necessary to restore its credibility with the Republican Party as a fair and nonpartisan actor, the RNC will take every step to ensure that future Republican presidential nominees are given that opportunity elsewhere. Accordingly, the RNC will initiate the process of amending the Rules of the Republican Party at our upcoming Winter Meeting to prohibit future Republican nominees from participating in CPD-sponsored debates.

Sincerely,

Ronna McDaniel

Chairman, Republican National Committee