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What We’re Hearing
“It’s one of the most irresponsible and selfish actions I’ve seen a candidate for office at any level take,” said Mark Harris.
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Top Story
1. Report: Meadows Texts Show Perry, Keller, Kelly Efforts To Reverse Trump 2020 Defeat
White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows exchanged text messages with at least 34 Republican members of Congress as they plotted to overturn President Trump’s loss in the 2020 election.
Included among that total are Pennsylvania congressmen Scott Perry (R-10), Fred Keller (PA-12) and Mike Kelly (R-16).
“This was a broad plot at every level of government and really every level of the Republican Party,” said co-author of the report, Hunter Walker, on Tuesday’s “Morning Joe” program on MSNBC. (PoliticsPA)
Related
Perry Among Lawmakers On Text Chain About Efforts To Overturn 2020 Election. “A Republican congressman from central Pennsylvania was among the nearly three-dozen members of Congress contacted by a former top Trump administration official as plans were being laid to topple the results of the 2020 election, according to a published report.” (Pennsylvania Capital-Star)
Harrisburg
2. PA House Democrats Accuse GOP Leader Of Inappropriate Budget Transfer
“Before he left the House speaker’s position, Rep. Bryan Cutler transferred $51.5 million from accounts he controlled in that office to the Republican leadership account.
Democrats are crying foul. But Cutler said it was money that belonged to the GOP.
That is the latest twist in the ongoing dispute over who holds majority control in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.” (PennLive)
Related
House Dems Accuse GOP Of ‘Draining’ Operations Budget. “House Democrats accuse former Speaker and Republican Leader Rep. Bryan Cutler of purposefully “draining” $51.4 million from the lower chamber’s operating budget ahead of the 2023-24 session.” (New Castle News)
Doug Mastriano Pleaded For More Money While Running For Governor. He Didn’t Even Spend The Last $1M. “In fact, weeks after the election, Mastriano still had more than $1 million in his campaign account left unspent, according to a fund-raising report he filed last week. That’s about 15% of the money he had available for the general election.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)
Chambersburg Votes Doug Mastriano Must Pay His Police Bill. “Chambersburg won’t let Doug Mastriano’s campaign off the hook for police overtime incurred during a campaign event in September.” (WITF)
Special Elections For 34th And 35th State House Districts Attract Candidates, But Lack Certainty. “There’s no shortage of Democratic candidates seeking to win special elections for the 34th and 35th state House Districts. What there is a shortage of is time and certainty: All but two of those campaigns could be over by the weekend — even though the date of the elections themselves is up in the air.” (WESA)
Advocates, Lawmakers Hope PA House Power Shift Opens Door For Election Law Changes. “Pennsylvania lawmakers agree on one thing: the commonwealth needs to rewrite its election laws. Then, the disagreements start.” (Spotlight PA)
Around The Commonwealth
3. Pat Toomey Didn’t Change In His 12 Years As A Senator. The GOP Did
“As Pennsylvania’s Sen. Pat Toomey enters his final weeks in office, his shifting role within the Republican Party reflects how the GOP has changed around him.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)
Related
Shapiro-Davis Inaugural Celebration Set For Rock Lititz. Rock Lititz has hosted Beyonce, U2, Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber, just to name a few. On Tuesday, January 17, the 96-acre Lancaster County entertainment campus will play host to the Inaugural Celebration for Pennsylvania Governor-Elect Josh Shapiro and Lieutenant Governor-Elect Austin Davis. (PoliticsPA)
Summer Lee Doesn’t Care For Your Small Talk. “As the first Black woman elected to Congress from Pennsylvania, Summer Lee is well acquainted with challenging the status quo.” (Bustle)
Senate And House Calendars Now Set For 2023. “Senators may be working right up until Christmas, but they will get to spend much of January away from the Capitol.” (Roll Call)
Who’s Running For City Council In 2023? “Having trouble keeping tabs on who’s running for City Council in 2023? Yeah, us too. Every single seat on Philadelphia’s governing body is up for grabs.” (Billy Penn)
Berks Commissioner Named New County Chief Operations Officer. “During a press conference Tuesday morning, the county commissioners picked one of their own to be the county’s new chief operations officer when they selected Commissioner Kevin Barnhardt for the position.” (Reading Eagle)
Rules Approved For Hand Recount Of 2020 Election. “The Lycoming County Board of Elections approved rules for conducting a hand count of two statewide contests from the 2020 election and determined that the count will take place between Jan. 9 and Jan. 31.” (Williamsport Sun-Gazette)
Editorial
4. Opinion
- The Threat To Democracy Is Still In Congress. (David A. Graham, The Atlantic)
- Will Gov. Shapiro Do To PA’s Pension Billions What He Did In Montco? (Joseph N. DiStefano, Philadelphia Inquirer)
- Unions Have Been Loyal To Democrats. How’s That Working Out? (Kyle Sammin, Philadelphia Inquirer)
- Gridlock Won’t Be The Biggest Problem For The New Congress. (Matt Harris, PennLive)
- Rural Voters Came Out For Fetterman And Shapiro, What Happens Next For Them? (Lisa Thompson Sayers, Erie Times-News)
1 Thing
5. A Mess For Thursday
Weather World – a Penn State weather communications group production – tweeted that “Wednesday will be the calm before the storm. Rain/mix arrives in SW PA Wednesday night. Expect travel impacts for much of central PA on Thursday. Heaviest snow accumulation likely north-central and northeast. Heaviest ice accumulation in the Laurels. Plan ahead!”
4 Responses
Perry should be in jail.
Mike Kelly and Scott Perry are 2022 inductees for the PA MAGA GOP Hall of Shame.
Elections are contests that you sometimes win and sometimes lose. What are disturbing about the texts to Mark Meadows is that the first reaction when losing was to cry foul! What message is that telling our young? Now we have Leader Cutler transferring money before leaving the Speakership. There seems to be a void of graciousness that is sending the wrong signal to the public.
I am utterly disappointed in the texted message that Mr. Keller sent to Mr. Mark Meadows on 1/04 2021. The suggestion of planting distrust and doubt on the character of an out of state election official through an implementation of an outright lie, that the phone call was basically a ruse to give Mr. Trump an out. Mr. Keller is denying the election and in effect is also violating his oath to uphold and defend the constitution of the United States. I am relieved to state that Mr. Keller is not the representative for my part of the keystone state.