Oct. 15, 2018
HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania House State Government Committee Chairman Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler), today convened a public hearing focusing on the ongoing efforts to protect and improve election integrity throughout the Commonwealth.
During his opening remarks, Metcalfe called out Commissioner Jonathan Marks, Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Commissions, Elections and Legislation, for withdrawing his testimony less than 30 minutes before the start of today’s meeting at the advice of legal counsel.
“Commissioner Marks’ failure to appear to publicly answer questions regarding the number of foreign nationals illegally registered to vote in Pennsylvania is just another example of the Wolf administration dragging its feet at every turn to keep these records hidden from the public,” said Chairman Metcalfe. “This is no longer about blatantly false claims regarding a Russian conspiracy, in Pennsylvania there is undeniable real interference by foreign nationals that will take place once again this November. Few things are more deceitful or disgraceful than for Pennsylvania’s least transparent governor to make citizens across the Commonwealth legitimately question whether their legally cast votes have been unfairly tampered with or cancelled out by illegally registered foreign nationals.”
“The general public remains in the dark on how large the problem truly is,” testified J. Christian Adams, president and general counsel, Public Interest Legal Foundation, regarding the number of the foreign nationals illegally registered to vote. “State officials have hidden the full extent of the problem from this body and the citizens of the Commonwealth.”
On Feb. 28, Metcalfe’s Right-to-Know appeal requesting the number of foreign nationals illegally registered to vote in Pennsylvania was partially granted by the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records. As a result, Wolf and his Department of State were given 30 days to release all communications between then-Secretary of State Pedro Cortez and his staff regarding voter registration and/or voting records by non-citizen foreign nationals.
On the 30th and final day to comply, the Wolf administration appealed the Office of Open Records’ ruling in favor of maximum voter transparency to the Commonwealth Court. The Commonwealth Court is now scheduled to consider the appeal, more than a month after this year’s mid-term elections, on Monday, Dec. 10.
“For the past several years, I have been demanding answers on behalf of my constituents and all Pennsylvania citizens, who have a right to the information contained in these public records,” said Metcalfe. “It is precisely the governor’s obstruction and refusal to release these records that calls into question, and not for the first time, the Wolf administration’s judgment, priorities and commitment to transparency and election integrity. It is a travesty of justice that Pennsylvania citizens will now be forced to vote in this upcoming election knowing that the Wolf administration is actively covering up and allowing for foreign nationals to directly influence the outcome.”
Representative Daryl Metcalfe
12th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Ty McCauslin
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