Court Filing: Leftist Wisconsin AG’s Probe Of Mayor Is A ‘Fishing Expedition’
As The Federalist first reported, investigators raided Mayor Doug Diny's home while his wife and 18-month-old grandson were present.
Hundreds of ballots likely went up in flames after an explosive device apparently went off in a ballot drop box in Washington state, one of two such explosions that occurred early Monday morning.
Around 5:30 a.m. on Monday, police began working tirelessly to put out a fire in a ballot box near a bus station in Vancouver, Washington. Video of their efforts shows crews toiling in the pouring rain as the contents of the ballot box were reduced to ashes.
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"It appears that a device was attached to the outside of the ballot drop box that resulted in the ballots being ignited," Clark County auditor Greg Kimsey said, according to Oregon Live.
The ballot box was outfitted with a fire suppressant, Kimsey noted. Unfortunately, it did not work effectively.
When asked how many ballots were affected, Kimsey declined to give an exact number but claimed it was in the "hundreds."
Kimsey described the incident as "heartbreaking." "It’s a direct attack on democracy," he added.
Police likewise described the device as "suspicious."
'Southwest Washington cannot risk a single vote being lost to arson and political violence.'
Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs (D) suggested the incident may have even been an act of "terror."
"I strongly denounce any acts of terror that aim to disrupt lawful and fair elections in Washington state," he said in a statement, according to ABC News.
The drop box is located in Washington's 3rd Congressional District, where Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D) and Republican Joe Kent are in a tight rematch. In 2022, Perez beat Kent by fewer than 3,000 votes.
"Southwest Washington cannot risk a single vote being lost to arson and political violence," Perez said in a statement, according to ABC News.
Kent's team did not respond to a request for comment, the outlet claimed.
Ballots at the drop box were last collected around 11 a.m. on Saturday, so anyone who deposited a ballot after that time is encouraged to check the status of their ballot online. They may also contact the county elections office to receive a replacement ballot by calling (564) 397-2345 or emailing elections@clark.wa.gov.
Sadly, the drop box in Vancouver was not the only one in the area to be hit. About two hours before the incident in Vancouver, an "incendiary device" exploded in a drop box in Portland, a press release from the Portland Police Bureau indicated. Portland, Oregon, is located about 10 miles south of Vancouver, Washington.
Fortunately, a fire suppressant installed in the Portland ballot box activated, preventing a significant fire. Multnomah County Elections Director Tim Scott claimed that only three ballots had been damaged and that elections workers had already made plans to contact the affected voters.
"By the time officers arrived, the fire had already been extinguished by security personnel who work in the area," the PPB press release said. "Officers determined an incendiary device was placed inside the ballot box and used to ignite the fire. PPB’s Explosive Disposal Unit (EDU) responded to the scene and cleared the device."
It is unclear whether the two incidents are linked.
Yet another incendiary device was discovered at a drop box in Vancouver on October 8. Luckily, it did not cause any damage.
A man also allegedly admitted to lighting a fire in a ballot box in Phoenix last week, destroying perhaps 20 ballots, as Blaze News previously reported. The suspect denied having any political motivation, claiming instead that he "wanted to be arrested."
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The national Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee reportedly fired one of its staffers in Montana after video suggested he handled a ballot box inappropriately, prompting speculation about possible "tampering."
Surveillance cameras keep continual watch over all ballot boxes in Montana, including the one affixed to a column outside the Glacier County Satellite Office on the Blackfeet Reservation.
On Wednesday, news broke that Laszlo Gendler, a DSCC employee, had apparently been caught on video touching the ballot box twice during a visit to the Glacier County office and even tugged on it at one point. He also apparently snapped a photo of the box with his cell phone.
'The activity was certainly highly suspicious and concerning.'
Glacier County elections administrator Crystal Cole immediately flagged the video and sent it to Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen (R), who sounded the alarm bell about potential "tampering."
"Footage has emerged of a D.C. Democratic staffer tampering with a ballot drop box in Glacier County," Jacobsen said in a statement, according to KRTV. "This isn’t speculation — it is on camera. ... We are currently investigating this matter with the help of law enforcement and will continue to observe the actions of the Democratic Party of Montana under close watch."
In a statement to Blaze News, Maggie Abboud, spokesperson for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, described the video as "incredibly damning."
Even DSCC spokesperson David Bergstein admitted that the man in the video had broken protocol regarding ballot boxes.
"Poll observers are instructed not to touch ballot boxes. This individual was attempting to ensure a new ballot box was secured to the wall, neither the ballot box nor ballots were affected," Bergstein said in a statement, according to the New York Post.
When Cole confronted Gendler about the incident, he did tell her he had been sent "to see how secure the box was," Cole wrote in a report to Jacobsen, according to Times Now. Cole seemed dubious about that explanation, noting that "the MT Dem Party failed to notify the Elections office" that it had dispatched anyone to test the security of the ballot box.
"The suspect and details were turned over to Glacier County law enforcement," added Richie Melby, a spokesman for the secretary of state’s office, in a statement to the Post. "Our elections director was pleased that the individual was not able to remove the ballot box from the wall, although, as the election administrator signified in her email, the activity was certainly highly suspicious and concerning."
However, Glacier County deputies investigated the matter and released Gendler without pressing charges.
"After a review of the evidence, including the footage, we have determined that the issue is unsubstantiated. The behavior captured in the video does not constitute a legitimate attempt to tamper with the ballot box or the electoral process," said Glacier County Attorney Terryl Matt.
Nevertheless, Gendler has been fired, according to KRTV and the Post.
The video of Gendler comes as Republican challenger Tim Sheehy, a former Navy SEAL, appears to be on track to oust U.S. Sen. Jon Tester (D) from the seat he has held for more than 15 years.
"Jon Tester and Senate Democrats know they are losing to Tim Sheehy, so it appears they are trying to cheat in the election," Abboud added in her statement to Blaze News.
Should Sheehy prevail, Republicans stand a good chance of retaking control of the Senate since former Gov. Jim Justice, a former Democrat, is expected to win the West Virginia Senate seat soon to be vacated by Sen. Joe Manchin (D), who is retiring, the Post noted.
Democrat Senate candidates in the Rust Belt also face tough challenges from their Republican counterparts.
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Two of the most pressing concerns in America currently are illegal immigration and declining confidence in our electoral system.
While these might seem like two separate issues — and in some ways, they are — they’re also inextricably connected.
“Experts are warning that all of this illegal immigration could have a major impact on House Seats and the Electoral College,” says Sara Gonzales. “Shortly after taking office in 2021, Joe Biden signed an executive order requiring that the United States Census Bureau factor in all residents, including non-citizens, as part of its calculation of the U.S. population.”
While reports from the Federation of American Immigration Reform indicate that there are an estimated “16.8 million illegal immigrants living in the United States,” the numbers are likely much, much higher.
“There’s no way it’s 16.8 million,” says Sara. “Every House seat represents an average of 761,168 residents,. So, the total number, they say, of illegal immigrants account for roughly 22 seats in the House.”
“There's no way it's 22; it would be much more than that because there are many more illegal immigrants than” are being reported.
“Right now, there are 219 Republicans and 212 Democrats in the House, and even then, you're going to expect at least some Republican defectors to [vote for] the other side. So, if we proceed with how it is now … you're ending the democratic system as we know it,” says Sara, adding that Democrats are “clearly rigging the system.”
“Democrats play to win,” agrees Eric July. “If they gotta rig the rules to benefit themselves, that’s exactly what they’re going to do. They will lie, cheat, and steal.”
“They look at the book of law, and the book of law tells them that, ‘Hey, we count everybody.’'"
"Okay, if they count everybody, then let's open the border by design,” adds Jaco Booyens.
To hear more of the conversation, watch the clip below.
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