CNN
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A Democratic election official in Pennsylvania provided an impassioned apology Wednesday for claiming “precedent by a court docket doesn’t matter anymore on this nation” to justify counting about 600 defective ballots in defiance of state Supreme Court docket rulings.
“The eagerness in my coronary heart obtained the most effective of me and I apologize once more for that,” Bucks County Commissioner Diane Ellis-Marseglia stated in entrance of a fiery crowd at a county assembly.
“I made a mistake, and since I’m an elected official, I’m held to a far greater normal than everyone else. So, to the residents I serve, I apologize, and I’ll proceed to work arduous for you and endeavor to not make such a mistake once more.”
Ellis-Marseglia stated she acquired expletive-laden criticism and dying threats following her prior feedback. She additionally stated different county staff have been flooded with threats.
All through her apology, the packed room – which included many supporters of President-elect Donald Trump – heckled Ellis-Marseglia, and a few held up indicators that stated “tyrant.” Others referred to as for her resignation and prosecution and accused her of attempting to depend unlawful votes to assist Democrats maintain onto a US Senate seat.
Her prior feedback about flouting court docket precedent took off on social media and have been promoted broadly by Trump allies like Elon Musk.
Ellis-Marseglia and one other Democrat on the three-member panel voted to depend misdated mail ballots and unsigned provisional ballots, over the objections of the lone GOP commissioner, the county’s lawyer, and in defiance of the state’s high court docket, which dominated earlier than the election that ballots with these deficiencies are invalid.
That is unfolding amid a carefully watched recount within the state’s US Senate race between Democratic Sen. Bob Casey and Republican Dave McCormick, who leads by about 17,000 votes. CNN has not made a projection in that race.
“I feel everyone knows that precedent by a court docket doesn’t matter anymore on this nation, and folks violate legal guidelines any time they need,” Ellis-Marseglia stated at a gathering final week. “So, for me, if I violate this legislation, it’s as a result of I need a court docket to concentrate to it. There’s nothing extra vital than counting votes.”
Ellis-Marseglia and the opposite Democratic commissioner, Robert Harvie, justified their actions by arguing that they didn’t need to disenfranchise voters, and that the matter would absolutely be settled by the courts. The 600 or so defective ballots, they argued, have been solely lacking a date or signature as a result of voters weren’t given clear directions.
Wednesday, Ellis-Marseglia stated her previous remark that precedent “doesn’t matter” was a reference to the US Supreme Court docket’s determination overturning Roe v. Wade, drawing groans from the group.
In response to a lawsuit from the McCormick marketing campaign, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court docket on Monday ordered counties to abide by its previous rulings in regards to the undated ballots. A number of the justices blasted officers from Bucks and different counties for upending the “rule of legislation.”
Republican officers in battleground states throughout the nation have been beneath a microscope this election season due to fears that they may flout legal guidelines round election processes, akin to certifying election outcomes.
Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro additionally weighed on this week on counties showing to defy the state’s highest court docket.
“As we transfer ahead, I need to be clear: any insinuation that our legal guidelines could be ignored or don’t matter is irresponsible and does injury to religion in our electoral course of,” Shapiro stated in an announcement on Monday.
Patricia Poprik, chair of the Bucks County Republican Social gathering, on Wednesday stated the board’s actions overshadowed the arduous work of county election staff.
Poprik has had doubts in regards to the 2020 outcomes and served as a faux elector for Trump. However within the run as much as the presidential election this 12 months, Poprik instructed CNN she had religion within the course of after native election officers had been clear and walked her and others by means of the complete system for processing and counting ballots.
On Wednesday, she was once more crucial.
“One thing’s fallacious with the way in which we’re conducting the elections on this county,” Poprik stated. “Now it’s turn into the laughingstock and the embarrassment.”
CNN’s Danny Freeman contributed to this report.
