Morning everyone. I am on the Pennsylvania state Capitol today. You may have see reports about Pa. GOP state lawmakers pushing for a legislative election audit. I will be in the digging into this today.
Rep. Eric Nelson, R-Westmoreland, said he is attending the presser. "I have a large section of constituents who are very concerned, be that misinformation or legitimate." He said a "bipartisan investigation" would clarify those concerns.
By my count, 19 lawmakers (some showed after photo) are here. All conservative Republicans. They are asking for the legislature to have oversight of the election results.
Trump supporters from all over, state lawmakers and armed militia members gathered at the Pennsylvania Capitol to rally for Trump Saturday, while ignoring the projection of a Biden win. penncapital-star.com/election-2020/…
And @BrettSholtis has some delightful scene as well, including interviewing the inevitable protesters who brings a ram's horn to blow through. witf.org/2020/11/07/whi…
“Man or Woman Up!” Rep. Gerald Mullery, D-Luzerne, implored his House colleagues at 3:10 pm in an email, as rumors of a positive COVID-19 case among the chamber's 203 lawmakers swirled Wednesday afternoon. The case was confirmed a half hour later. penncapital-star.com/covid-19/covid…
House Democratic campaign chief Rep. Leanne Krueger just released a scathing statement, saying today on top of some lawmakers statements proves that House Republicans "are incapable, unqualified, and unwilling to faithfully discharge the duties of their office.”
Multiple House Democrats are calling for Speaker Mike Turzai's resignation now.
“Out of respect for my family, and those who I may have exposed, I chose to keep my positive case private. Now that I have fully recovered and completed the quarantine as required by the Department of Health..."
"I feel now is the appropriate time to share this information with the public and my constituents and I look forward to being a resource in sharing my experiences with COVID-19 and helping our community navigate this crisis together."
In a phone call, Rep. Russ Diamond, R-Lebanon, tells me he is currently quarantining due to potential exposure to Lewis on May 14 — his last day in the Capitol. He has NOT been tested however.
This "story" is just a reprinted press release, which is an annoying journalism problem. Also, there's a lack of quotes so some graphs that are clearly from the release look like the authoritative writing of the news station.
But, alll that aside, I am a reporter. I was interested in seeing this trend pop in Pennsylvania after Ohio and Michigan. So, I decided to dig a little more.