A left-wing group is trying to disqualify outspoken Trump supporter Pennsylvania state Senator Doug Mastriano from the state governor’s race because he allegedly participated in an “insurrection” against the U.S. government by supporting the former president’s reelection bid.
Article by Matthew Vadum from our premium news partners at The Epoch Times.
Recent polling shows Mastriano has the lead—garnering 19 percent support—in the field of 9 candidates seeking the Republican nomination for governor of the Keystone State, according to a poll Eagle Consulting Group conducted of 502 likely GOP primary voters from April 7 through April 9, PennLive reports. The primary election is May 17. The current governor, Democrat Tom Wolf, is term-limited. Attorney General Josh Shapiro is running unopposed in the Democratic Party’s gubernatorial primary.
This alleged insurrection supposedly culminated in the security breach on Jan. 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol complex in which supporters of then-President Donald Trump delayed the congressional certification of the 2020 presidential election results for several hours. Democrats and a handful of Republicans characterize the disturbance as an insurrection or coup attempt aimed at overthrowing the U.S. government, a claim that has been adamantly denied by Trump and his supporters.
Those trying to kick Mastriano off the ballot say his actions triggered the rarely invoked Disqualification Clause in Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which was enacted in the wake of the Civil War to keep former Confederates out of Congress and state governments.
The provision states in the relevant part: “No person shall … hold any office … under any state, who, having previously taken an oath … or as a member of any state legislature … any state, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.”
A nonprofit called Free Speech For People is urging Acting Secretary of the Commonwealth Leigh Chapman, a Democrat, to bar Mastriano “from appearing on the ballot for election to any state office in Pennsylvania,” according to a letter (pdf) the group recently sent to Chapman.
“You have the authority and responsibility to determine, as part of the state ballot qualification process, that because Mr. Mastriano engaged in the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, Mr. Mastriano is ineligible to appear on the gubernatorial ballot or on any other ballot for office in the state of Pennsylvania,” the letter states.
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Before the events of Jan. 6, Mastriano reportedly argued that Pennsylvania’s presidential election in November 2020 was unfair and corrupt. He claimed election fraud was rampant and unsuccessfully urged the state legislature to fix the problem by exercising its authority under Article II, section 1, of the U.S. Constitution to appoint the state’s presidential electors directly.
The letter states that Mastriano was present at the rally that preceded the Jan. 6, 2021 security breach and “subsequently rode a golf cart and marched to the Capitol,” but provides no evidence that he participated in or encouraged the breaching of security.
Free Speech For People senior counsel Courtney Hostetler and three other officials from the group signed the letter in which they requested a meeting with Chapman to discuss Mastriano’s current candidacy and “why former President Donald Trump, who incited the January 6, 2021 insurrection, is disqualified for future public office … and must be barred from any future ballot in Pennsylvania.”
It is unclear if Chapman took any action as a result of the letter. Her office did not respond to requests for comment from The Epoch Times. The Epoch Times also reached out to Mastriano for comment. Mastriano’s office in the Pennsylvania General Assembly in Harrisburg declined to comment.
“In accordance with the law, staff cannot engage and will be unable to respond to inquiries regarding campaign matters,” legislative staffer Felicia Wallace replied by email.
Will America-First News Outlets Make it to 2023?
Things are looking grim for conservative and populist news sites.
There’s something happening behind the scenes at several popular conservative news outlets. 2021 was bad, but 2022 is proving to be disastrous for news sites that aren’t “playing ball” with the corporate media narrative. It’s being said that advertisers are cracking down, forcing some of the biggest ad networks like Google and Yahoo to pull their inventory from conservative outlets. This has had two major effects. First, it has cooled most conservative outlets from discussing “taboo” topics like Pandemic Panic Theater, voter fraud, or The Great Reset. Second, it has isolated those ad networks that aren’t playing ball.
Certain topics are anathema for most ad networks. Speaking out against vaccines or vaccine mandates is a certain path to being demonetized. Highlighting voter fraud in the 2020 and future elections is another instant advertising death penalty. Throw in truthful stories about climate change hysteria, Critical Race Theory, and the border crisis and it’s easy to understand how difficult it is for America-First news outlets to spread the facts, share conservative opinions, and still pay the bills.
Without naming names, I have been told of several news outlets who have been forced to either consolidate with larger organizations or who have backed down on covering certain topics out of fear of being “canceled” by the ad networks. I get it. This is a business for many of us and it’s not very profitable. Those of us who do this for a living are often barely squeaking by, so loss of additional revenue can often mean being forced to make cuts. That means not being able to cover the topics properly. Its a Catch-22: Tell the truth and lose the money necessary to keep telling the truth, or avoid the truth and make enough money to survive. Those who have chosen survival simply aren’t able to spread the truth properly.
We will never avoid the truth. The Lord will provide if it is His will. Our job is simply to share the facts, spread the Gospel, and educate as many Americans as possible while exposing the forces of evil.
To those who have the means, we ask that you please donate. We have options available now, but there is no telling when those options will cancel us. We have our GivingFuel page. There have been many who have been canceled by PayPal, but for now it’s still an option. Your generosity is what keeps these sites running and allows us to get the truth to the masses. We’ve had great success in growing but we know we can do more with your assistance.
Thank you, and God Bless!
JD Rucker