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J.J. Abbott 🦅 Profile picture
J.J. Abbott 🦅
@jjabbott
PA hype man, music and concerts, Philly fan, Pitt alum. Comms for common good and democracy @comms2pa @allaboutpa. Fmr PA Gov press secretary. Personal account.
Sep 10 • 5 tweets • 1 min read
Going to do a running list of Pennsylvania fact checks for lies Trump will probably tell about Pennsylvania when at the #PresidentialDebate tonight. 🧵

Let’s start with an easy one: Trump lost in Pennsylvania in 2020 — the election and 40+ lawsuits falsely claiming fraud. Trump may lie that Democrats cheated in PA with mail-in voting but the truth:

- PA GOP passed vote-by-mail in 2019 before COVID
- PA courts protected people’s rights to have valid votes counted but those were less than what Trump lost by
- PA has audits and paper-backed ballots
Jan 2, 2023 • 9 tweets • 5 min read
Tomorrow is swearing-in day for the PA legislature.

Despite being ousted by voters in 2022, PA Republicans are trying to delay special elections so they can temporarily hold power and jam through the exact agenda voters rejected.

🧵 of editorials denouncing this craven ploy. Good explainer here epgn.com/2022/12/28/des…

And as only he can, a summary from @malcolmkenyatta
Nov 10, 2022 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
PA Republicans blaming Trump and Mastriano are hilarious.

On elections, GOP leaders all backed Trump’s lies, elevated Mastriano as the star and spent two years obsessing over 2020 and voting.

And neither made GOP leaders pass the abortion ban amendment right after Dobbs. 👀
Nov 8, 2022 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
Note: Multiple GOP counties in PA are allowing mail-in ballots to be cured, as it is allowed under state and federal law, upheld by state and federal courts since 2020.

A few GOP bad actors are not.

It is the right thing to do for voters, no matter their party. 🇺🇸 #PAVotes GOP counties that are curing include Beaver, Lawrence and Fayette.

Curing is not limited to dates. Since 2020 and even before with absentees, counties have helped voters fix errors with missing envelopes and signatures.

This shouldn’t be controversial. Let voters vote. #PAVotes
Nov 6, 2022 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
Reporters should stop reporting election comments from known sources of false and misleading information about PA’s election NOW. Trump, Mastriano and @PAHouseGOP all documented to have done this in 2020 and already at it in 2022. It’s irresponsible to quote them on the matter. Electionfactspa.com
Oct 29, 2022 • 23 tweets • 11 min read
🚨PA Election Alert: The extremists who invented lies about PA’s 2020 election are at it again — using the exact same tactics.

Thread on this but a preface: what they are doing is *the story*.

Repeating their lies only helps them spread. But they do need accountability. 🧵 Too often, we just litigate the lie. But journalists, etc, should first shine a light on those lying, and their tactics and intentions. This helps disqualify — without just spreading the lie.

Before I even get to the new PA Big Lie, let’s explore who’s doing this again and why.
Jun 12, 2022 • 4 tweets • 3 min read
With the new bipartisan federal gun deal endorsing/funding state red flag laws, this ups pressure on PA’s entrenched pro-gun GOP majority.

Will @PAHouseGOP gut PA’s popular red flag law bill as a partisan exercise tomorrow, or put it to a vote?

It’s on the calendar. Quick 🧵 Image PA’s legislature is controlled by pro-gun zealots that wildly misrepresent where the public stands on gun safety in PA.

Here’s what Chairman Kauffman (picked by @PAHouseGOP leaders to block popular gun safety bills) said about red flag laws penncapital-star.com/civil-rights-s… Image
Jun 12, 2022 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
Given *the U.S. Senate* existing in its current broken form, this is a pretty strong deal. Puts even more pressure on GOP state legislatures like PA to act. Particularly intrigued by this. Mastriano and other pro-gun PA GOP legislators have pledged to try to block any new federal gun safety restrictions. This would likely make the list.
Jun 10, 2022 • 4 tweets • 3 min read
🆕 @January6thCmte footage shows Mastriano ally and PA resident Samuel Lazar as he crosses police lines.

Lazar was a frequent guest at @PAGOP events. On Dec. 12, he was with Mastriano in DC for a pre-Jan. 6 event.

He also had front row seat for @PASenateGOP Gettysburg hearing. Here’s (a pretty weird) video that Mastriano took himself of him and Lazar together in DC in December 2020 at a Stop The Steal event.
Jun 10, 2022 • 15 tweets • 9 min read
It’s accountability time. #Jan6Hearings beginning now. More PA context below.

My 🧵 setting the scene for how @PAGOP engaged in this anti-American conspiracy to overturn Trump’s loss, void millions of PA votes and have kept the MAGA lies and election sabotage alive ⬇️ Trump’s Attorney General Bill Barr says what PA Republicans like Doug Mastriano have said about the election being stolen is bullshit.

He’s right (but still terrible)
Jun 9, 2022 • 10 tweets • 5 min read
Tonight @January6thCmte will hold its first hearing on the criminal conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election, which led to violent insurrection and lasting damage to our democracy.

Few states were more central to than PA and few groups more responsible than @PAGOP.

A thread 🧵 Some toplines:
- 76 @PASenateGOP and @PAHouseGOP members signed letters asking to overturn the election
- All GOP legislative leaders signed letters
- 8 PA GOP Congressmen complied on Jan 6 and joined Texas lawsuit
- 78 Pennsylvanians have been charged by Feds for 1/6 crimes
Jun 21, 2021 • 7 tweets • 2 min read
Meet the PA Republicans who spread Trump's lies, asked Congress to cancel PA's votes and helped sow an insurrection - and now want to be trusted with our elections.

They want us to forget what they did in 2020 but you cannot separate that from what's happening now

A thread 🧵 A refresher: PA Republicans, including every legislative leader, played a leading role in championing Trump's lies and attacks on PA's elections and election officials, and endorsed throwing out our votes, which helped sow the January 6th insurrection penncapital-star.com/election-2020/…
May 18, 2021 • 9 tweets • 3 min read
PA voters had two disaster declaration ballot questions to decide today.

GOP caucuses and groups went all-in on Yes campaigns.

I’d say odds are in favor of the questions being approved.

What would that mean? A speculative thread 🧵 You can read @justin_sweitzer’s story on the GOP/conservative spending advantages cityandstatepa.com/content/conser…

And @RepDonnaBullock on their ridiculous messaging targeting Black and brown voters pahouse.com/Bullock/InTheN…
May 17, 2021 • 8 tweets • 5 min read
Editorial boards across PA urging primary voters to reject ballot questions 1 and 2.

They agree: PA's legislature is broken, ineffective and political, and you don't want them in the way during a disaster.

Learn more at vote.pa/guide

Thread on why they say vote NO: .@PittsburghPG: "We’re talking about the state Legislature, which is not known for its nimble and responsive movement on any matter." post-gazette.com/opinion/editor…
Feb 16, 2021 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
Washington County, Pennsylvania, GOP Chair: “We did not send him there to vote his conscience. We did not send him there to ‘do the right thing’ or whatever” From @JonDelano’s story pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/video/5302937-…
Jan 13, 2021 • 11 tweets • 6 min read
TODAY: Angry at being held accountable in court, PA Republicans seek retribution with their judicial districts scheme.

This constitutional change would destroy the courts and disenfranchise 9 million voters in PA.

Legal experts and good gov groups have raised the 🚨. Thread. "These regional elections would, thereby, disenfranchise voters by eliminating their ability to select the full panel of judges issuing decisions of statewide impact and importance.” - @PA4ModernCourts pmconline.org/stop-judicial-…
Jan 12, 2021 • 10 tweets • 5 min read
PA Republicans plan to move their partisan judicial districts scheme tomorrow.

Another attack on democracy: disenfranchises 9 million voters and steals every voters' voice in 90% of statewide court seats.

Every legal/good gov org opposes it.

Same with editorial boards. Thread. .@LancasterOnline: “Indeed, politics already play far too large of role in choosing our judges. Diamond’s amendment would put even more emphasis on politics.” lancasteronline.com/opinion/editor…
Jan 6, 2021 • 5 tweets • 2 min read
You’re going to hear a lot of nonsense about Pennsylvania today.

But here’s why it is all a big lie.

Our courts did not change law. They protected our right to vote.

Ballots with small errors are not illegal. PA law says count them.

GOP voted to allow mail-in voting. Another thread debunking these lies about Pennsylvania’s election

Jan 4, 2021 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
The Third Circuit has already ruled in a separate challenge that these ballots can be counted. It is pure fantasy to think that a lower court judge is going to throw them out.

Republicans are showing their anti-democracy colors at every level of government. #CountEveryVote The most likely scenario is that the federal court dismisses this claim. They will not throw out these votes over a state court.

In American democracy, the equal protection remedy should not be throwing out votes- it should be forcing Westmoreland not to trash people's votes.