(Dmytro “Henry” Aleksandrov, Headline USA) Gov. Josh Shapiro, D–Pa., was criticized by conservatives for not preventing election fraud in his state and then lying about leftists trying to steal the election for former Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa.
On Monday, after Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court stated for the second time that the election officials cannot count illegal ballots after the election was over, Shapiro released a letter in which he tried to defend himself and partisan election officials by writing that there was “a lack of legal clarity surrounding undated mail-in ballots.”
“As counties continued counting ballots from the 2024 general election and a mandatory statewide recount begins in the U.S. Senate race, they were confronted with a lack of legal clarity surrounding undated mail-in ballots that caused significant confusion and put counties in a challenging legal position,” he wrote.
.@GovernorShapiro weighs in: pic.twitter.com/ctApXo71xN
— Carter Walker (@ByCarterWalker) November 18, 2024
Shapiro then noted that county officials “were damned if they did and damned if they didn’t,” potentially facing “legal challenges.”
Conservatives on Twitter quickly criticized Shapiro for lying about what happened.
“Josh Shapiro just released a new letter lying about the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. He claims there was a lack of clarity about the law. There was no lack of clarity. [She] announced what she was doing! Liar!” Senior Editor at Human Events, Jack Posobeic, wrote.
Josh Shapiro just released a new letter lying about the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. He claims there was a lack of clarity about the law. There was no lack of clarity, she announced what she was doing! Liar!
— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) November 19, 2024
Posobeic also published a video in which he mocked Shapiro, pointing out that his chances of becoming president of the United States in 2028 had become very low.
BREAKING: TERRIFIED LITTLE JOSH SHAPIRO ISSUES STRONGLY-WORDED LETTER BEGGING LOCAL DEMOCRATS TO STOP RUINING HIS 2028 CHANCES AS THEY BLATANTLY VIOLATE STATE COURT ORDERS
HE’S THE NEXT TIM WALZ pic.twitter.com/lCM2dyf6Pl
— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) November 19, 2024
Sen. Kim Ward, R-Pa., also criticized Shapiro, claiming that his letter “is nothing but excuses” and that the Democratic officials ignored the law, even though “there was no confusion” in it.
“Stop protecting lawbreakers, Governor. Pennsylvanians deserve accountability, not a false narrative,” she wrote.
Josh Shapiro’s letter on the Supreme Court decision is nothing but excuses. There’s no confusion in the law — those Democratic officials chose to ignore it.
Stop protecting lawbreakers, Governor. Pennsylvanians deserve accountability, not a false narrative. #ElectionIntegrity
— Sen. Kim Ward (@SenatorKimWard) November 19, 2024
Assistant News Director of Florida’s Voice Eric Daugherty also stated that Shapiro wanted the election commissioners to steal the state election because he never sent police to arrest the officials who declared they were defying a court order by counting illegal ballots.
If Josh Shapiro had any courage, he would send in police to arrest the commissioners who declared they are defying a court order by counting illegal ballots.
Rigging elections has to carry consequences.
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) November 19, 2024
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Bucks County Board of Commissioners Chair Diane Ellis-Marseglia also tried to defend herself by claiming that her comments about violating the Pennsylvania Supreme Court were taken out of context and blaming “misinterpretation of [an] inartfully worded statement on [her] part.”
“Please don’t send me to jail because I announced to the world my intent to deliberately break the law,” Senior Writer Mark Hemingway of the Real Clear Investigations wrote, clearly mocking Ellis-Marseglia.
"Please don't send me to jail because I announced to the world my intent to deliberately break the law." https://t.co/oXJnLb2RPl
— Mark Hemingway (@Heminator) November 19, 2024
Former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer also criticized Ellis-Marseglia, comparing her to a child “caught with their hand in the cookie jar.”
“She got caught,” he wrote.
This is what a child says when they’re caught with their hand in the cookie jar.
Except she actually voted to count illegal ballots, In addition to foolishly and publicly saying she did it on purpose.
She got caught. https://t.co/SSKNVJSt7b
— Ari Fleischer (@AriFleischer) November 19, 2024