‘Fullest Extent Of The Law’: RNC Seeking Criminal Prosecutions Against Election Officials Openly Violating State Law

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley said the party is exploring whether Bucks County Commissioners can be criminally prosecuted after they openly admitted to illegally counting ballots in the Senate race between Casey and McCormick. 

Bucks County Commissioners Diane Ellis-Marseglia and Robert Harvie decided Thursday to allow undated and misdated ballots to be counted as Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey pushes for a recount in the race won by Republican Senator-elect Dave McCormick. During the Thursday meeting, in response to those arguing the move was illegal, Ellis-Marseglia said that “precedent by a court doesn’t matter anymore in this country” because “people violate laws anytime they want.” (RELATED: Crucial Pennsylvania County Received Juicy Election Grant Before Fumbling Election Administration)

Whatley told the Daily Caller that the party and its lawyers are exploring whether Ellis-Marseglia could be criminally prosecuted for her comments in the Thursday meeting.

“We certainly are exploring that right now, and we will pursue this to the fullest extent that we can,” Whatley told the Caller during a Monday press call.

NEW: @chairmanwhatley tells @dailycaller that the RNC is exploring whether Dem Commissioner Diane Ellis-Marseglia could be held criminally liable for openly admitting to illegally counting ballots in the race between Casey and McCormick.

“We will pursue this to the fullest… https://t.co/KUiqULM0Kk

— Reagan Reese (@reaganreese_) November 18, 2024

Just now: Voters are lined up around the block here in Doylestown, PA, to bank their votes. @DailyCaller News Foundation pic.twitter.com/bR73fQILMW

— Nick Pope (@realnickpope) October 29, 2024

“We have been very clear that we are going to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law, folks that are not following the law, that are trying to cheat in these elections. We’re going to pursue every legal means that we can against these officials for improperly saying that they’re going to count these ballots,” Whatley added at the Monday press call.

The commissioners’ Thursday decision to count undated and misdated ballots comes despite a Nov. 1 Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision that such ballots are invalid. The move came as the Senate race between Casey and McCormick went to a recount, though McCormick was previously named the winner, currently leading by over 17,000 votes, according to The Associated Press.

The RNC filed a lawsuit immediately after the meeting in response to the decision, suing all 67 county boards of elections in the state in an effort to block undated and misdated ballots from being counted. Several other counties in Pennsylvania, including Centre County, Philadelphia County and Montgomery County, have also decided to allow undated or incorrectly dated ballots to be counted, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

“The fact that the margin is large enough that it will not be overturned does not take away from the fact that these are improper actions that are being taken by the Bob Casey campaign, by his attorneys and by these officials,” Whatley said on the Monday press call.