Page 114 – Texas Weekly Online

Roughly 50% of Georgia voters have already cast ballots despite Dems’ criticism of state election rules

Roughly 50% of Georgia voters have cast ballots before Election Day so far despite Democrats’ accusations that the state’s voter laws are aimed at making it harder for people to vote. “It just shows you that they don’t know what they’re talking about,” Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, a Republican, told Fox News Digital Thursday. “They’re just using talking points is all they’re doing. All we wanted to do is make it easier to vote and harder to cheat. And that’s exactly what we did.” Nearly 3.6 million people, or about 50% of active voters, in the Peach State have cast ballots, either absentee or through early in-person voting, which runs from Oct. 15 through Nov. 1. FORMER REPUBLICAN US SENATOR ENDORSES KAMALA HARRIS, SAYS ELECTION OFFERS ‘STARK CHOICE’ Georgia voters have already shattered multiple turnout records, but that did little to temper Democratic critics of the new rules for the 2024 presidential cycle put in place by the state’s GOP officials. “I was just in Georgia. You know they passed a law that makes it illegal to give people food and water for standing in line to vote?” Vice President Kamala Harris told a rally crowd in Michigan earlier this week. “The hypocrisy abounds. Whatever happened to ‘love thy neighbor,’ right?” Meanwhile, President Biden called Georgia’s election security laws “Jim Crow 2.0” in 2022. “Jim Crow 2.0 is about two insidious things: voter suppression and election subversion. It’s no longer about who gets to vote; it’s about making it harder to vote. It’s about who gets to count the vote and whether your vote counts at all,” he told an audience in Atlanta at the time. And a group run by Stacey Abrams, who twice lost the gubernatorial race to GOP Gov. Brian Kemp, criticized Republicans for arguing there was no voter suppression in the state. GEORGIA DEMS CHAIR REVEALS MESSAGE TO UNDECIDED GOP VOTERS AS HARRIS WORKS TO BUILD BROAD BASE “We are thrilled about the strong turnout and especially the 150k newly registered voters who have already turned out, and the 70k voters who have come off the sidelines to vote this year, when they passed four years ago,” Lauren Groh-Wargo, CEO of Fair Fight, wrote on X last week. “But that cannot excuse the fact that the GOP has put up multiple, intentional, damaging roadblocks to deter certain voters. Luckily for democracy, they’ve decided to change lanes – but Republicans don’t get credit because voters have outsmarted their bad intentions.” She said GOP officials’ positivity about the state’s turnout is “all gaslighting” and “patently wrong.” ‘ILLEGAL, UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND VOID’: GEORGIA JUDGE STRIKES DOWN NEW ELECTION RULES AFTER LEGAL FIGHTS Georgia’s Republican-majority legislature passed several laws since 2020 to increase security around the voting process after the Peach State was thrust under scrutiny in the previous presidential race. Among them were measures to expand the ability to challenge voter eligibility, a rule limiting ballot drop boxes based on population size and, perhaps most notably, a measure forbidding political organizations from handing out food and drinks to voters waiting in line within a certain distance from a polling place. Election workers are, however, permitted to set up self-serve water stations. Among the Republicans to push back on Democrats’ criticism of the rules was Gabriel Sterling, the chief operating officer in the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office. “So over 50% of the turnout for 2020 has already voted in Georgia. So for people like Joe Biden & Stacey Abrams, you were wrong saying we had voter suppression here. It’s easy to register & vote in Georgia…and really hard to even try to cheat,” Sterling posted on X Oct. 25. And Kemp called out Harris for her criticism of Georgia’s rule on water and food. “Sounds like Kamala Harris just can’t handle the truth,” Kemp posted on X. “We made it easier to vote and harder to cheat in Georgia. As a result, more than 3 million Georgians have already voted — that’s 3 million more votes than the Vice President got in the 2024 primaries.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

‘Most consequential election’: PA lawmakers and national figures on Trump Bus Tour talk issues, voter fervor

On the closing day of a weeklong Team Trump bus tour through Pennsylvania, the coach — decaled with a giant number “47” and signatures from hundreds of voters it crossed paths with — pulled into Chambersburg near the Maryland line. Those aboard hoped the stop – just over the mountain from where the first Republican president delivered his Gettysburg Address – would help usher in the next. Rep. John Joyce, R-Pa., who represents a swath of southcentral Pennsylvania from Ebensburg to Shippensburg, said he was proud to see the 13th congressional district deliver the most votes to Trump than any other in the Commonwealth in 2020. “What I’m seeing; what I’m feeling is the common sense, conservative values that President Trump brings to the table; we here in Central Pennsylvania recognize that we need a secure border . . . to turn around the reckless inflation that is causing Pennsylvanians not to have the money to pay for gasoline and groceries.” TRUMP’S PERSONAL MESSAGE BEFORE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT SPURRED ME TO ACTION: BUTLER-AREA MAYOR Joyce quipped that as a physician, he sees Trump keeping his “finger on the pulse” of what Americans need from their leader. State Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-Franklin County, Pennsylvania’s 2022 GOP gubernatorial nominee, echoed the sentiment. “This is the most consequential election of our lifetime. Our freedoms are on the line: The Democrats have weaponized the justice system,” he said. “They are dumping violent illegals onto our streets, attacking free speech; destroying our economy.” The retired Army colonel and Desert Storm veteran also warned that Democrats’ foreign policy has led the world to the “Brink of World War III.” “Whether you live in Chambersburg or Philadelphia, everybody needs to get out and vote if you want to make America free and strong.” One out-of-state figure on the tour was former California Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado, who served under fellow Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. TRUMP CAMP TAKES VICTORY LAP FOLLOWING LEGAL WIN IN KEY STATE While “The Terminator” recently endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, Maldonado spoke about how casting his vote for Trump in California was a proud moment, but a bit emotional for him and his wife. Maldonado said they knew their vote would not count much, as Harris is primed to win the Golden State. However, what he could do was travel Pennsylvania in support of Trump and hope to make a difference there, he said. When a few in the crowd initially jeered mention of California, when Maldonado said it was once governed by Ronald Reagan, the response turned to cheers. “Ronald Reagan was the last person besides President Trump who had an attempted assassination on him . . . and when he came out of the hospital, he said to the American people, ‘God had his hand on me’.” The son of Mexican immigrant farmers, Maldonado told the crowd at a later stop at state Rep. Barb Gleim’s farm near Mechanicsburg that the scene reminded him of his home and his family’s own farm. “Farmers are real people – this man greeted us at the gate, guided us and parked us – and he owns the place,” he said of Gleim’s husband, Tracy. TRUMP PLEDGES NEW US ‘GOLDEN AGE’ AS HE RALLIES IN ALLENTOWN On the tour from neighboring New York, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, a Republican, spoke to the crowd about the disparity in criminal justice policies between right and left. Shifting to the economy, Malliotakis said: “I hear Kamala every time she opens her mouth, it sounds like something coming out of Hugo Chavez’ Venezuela.” “My mother fled the communist country of Cuba. And so when I hear [Harris] talk about price controls, which caused hyperinflation, which caused the shelves to be empty in Venezuela, it is scary.” Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., a former House Freedom Caucus chairman in a close race with ex-Lancaster news anchor Janelle Stelson, said the momentum appears to be heading in Trump’s direction. “The Harris campaign keeps trying to give them a reason to vote for her, but every time they do it, they fail her,” he said. “Her campaign is collapsing. [At] the most recent event in Pennsylvania was a town hall where she either [couldn’t] answer a question or refused to answer a question. And so the people are saying, ‘Look, we’re not going to put up with four more years of misery. We’re going to elect Trump and go back to where things were great, move forward.’” Perry said constituents are worried about affording daily needs and paying bills on time. “They also are worried about their safety,” he said, claiming that Democrats created those problems. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, later noted she, too, hails from an agricultural state like California and Pennsylvania. “Iowa is in the bag, you know. And I thought it was really important to come out on the Trump Bus Tour and visit with all of you great folks. Because let me tell you, I look across the audience and I’m seeing [my family], I’m seeing my neighbors in this crowd, because I come from rural southwest Iowa. I am a farmer’s daughter.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “My brother is a union laborer on the railroad. My sister is a farmer and works for a trucking company. I come from normal everyday people, and I work with normal, everyday people.” Speaking with Fox News Digital, she said she has a positive outlook ahead of the election, after traveling the commonwealth on the bus. “Every stop has a really enthusiastic crowd . . . they are fired up; they’re ready to engage other voters that might not vote in every election,” she said. “So what we can say is ‘Goodbye, Kamala Harris. Goodbye, Bob Casey, and welcome again to peace and prosperity under President Donald J. Trump and soon-to-be United States Senator Dave McCormick.’” Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, Mayor Jondavid Longo was with Trump in his home county of Butler just minutes before the GOP nominee was shot by

Bill Clinton says it’s OK to vote for Harris even though Trump’s economy ‘was better’

Former President Bill Clinton encouraged voters in Michigan to throw their support behind Vice President Kamala Harris even if they believe the economy was better under former President Donald Trump. “I want to make three brief points,” Clinton told voters at a rally for Harris in Muskegon Heights, Michigan on Wednesday. “You did pretty well when I was president, and I think I’m entitled to my opinion about who’d be better. Two, I don’t think it’s right to say that people have to vote for Donald Trump because the economy was better… I don’t believe that.” Clinton’s comments come as both the Trump and Harris campaigns scramble to reach as many voters as possible with less than a week to go before election day, particularly in swing states such as Michigan, where polls show a razor tight race between the two candidates. BILL CLINTON MAKES ‘STUNNING’ REMARK ON LAKEN RILEY’S MURDER According to the Real Clear Politics polling average, Harris currently holds a slim 0.4 point lead over Trump in Michigan, while the latest Fox News Power Rankings rate the state as a toss-up. Clinton’s comments were not his first gaffe while hitting the campaign trail for Harris, coming a couple of weeks after the former president told voters in Georgia an immigrant who allegedly killed Georgia-native Laken Riley was not properly vetted before being let into the country. “You had a case in Georgia not very long ago, didn’t you? They made an ad about it. A young woman who had been killed by an immigrant,” Clinton said at the time. “Yeah, well, if they’d all been properly vetted, that probably wouldn’t have happened.” Despite that gaffe, the campaign brought Clinton to the critical swing state of Michigan to stump for Harris along with Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. SLOTKIN SLAMS FELLOW DEM BIDEN FOR ‘GARBAGE’ GAFFE AMID HEATED SENATE BATTLE Tudor Dixon, a Republican who ran for governor against Whitmer in 2022, argued that Clinton was just telling “the truth” during the event in Michigan. “Bill Clinton told the truth again when he admitted the economy is better under president Trump. Normal people buying groceries or school supplies know that’s true,” Dixon told Fox News Digital. “I’m beginning to wonder if he’s secretly a surrogate for the Trump campaign.” Nevertheless, Clinton said he was in Michigan to support Harris “enthusiastically,” arguing that “Kamala Harris will be a better president than Donald Trump.” “I want to assure the American dream for my grandchildren,” Clinton said. “I don’t want my 10-year-old granddaughter to have fewer freedoms than her 44-year-old mother.” The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Residents in small Ohio village reveal biggest concerns after community rocked by illegal immigrants

LOCKLAND, OHIO – Residents in this small village, where the population is just 3,400, have seen their lives upended by an influx of thousands of illegal immigrants that residents say has left strains on services and a significant drop in their quality of life. Officials have previously told Fox News Digital that there have been around 3,000 mostly Mauritanian illegal immigrants arriving in the small village of 3,400 residents, and it has strained services and made life worse for the people that live there. Migrants have clustered primarily in a number of apartment blocks in the area. Officials say the influx is hurting the village coffers as working residents are moving out to be replaced by illegal immigrants who are not contributing. “Our fire and paramedic services have been stressed. Since they moved into these apartment complexes, a lot of the longtime residents have moved out because of multiple fires. It’s been caused by their not understanding how to cook on stoves, and they use high levels of grease in their cooking, which have caused multiple fires,” Mayor Mark Mason Sr. said in an interview this month. OHIO MAYOR SOUNDS ALARM AFTER VILLAGE ROCKED BY THOUSANDS OF AFRICAN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS: ‘UNSUSTAINABLE’ “And so a lot of people don’t want to subject their families to unsafe conditions in these apartment complexes. So, therefore, they’ve moved out – the working residents – and they have moved in. And most don’t have jobs, they don’t contribute to society. They don’t contribute to your earnings tax base. And it’s a real concern,” he said. Residents have echoed those concerns. One woman, Kelly, who lives on the top floor of one of the apartment buildings, says she is one of a few remaining Americans in the building, with the rest being illegal immigrants. She says the block has now become known as “the African village” due to the influx, where she says there are now about 85% illegal immigrants. “With the illegals hanging out in the apartment, at first they were hanging out 50 a day out in the parking lots and walking around. They don’t move out of your way when you’re driving. They don’t seem to care,” she said. “The fires that have been going on, I mean, the fire departments here, if not every day. Every other day. And I think at least four to five fires in less than the last six months. And the smoke alarms are going off constantly. They don’t know how to use the electric stoves and with all the oil and that they use, the smell of the food through the halls all the time is pretty bad,” she said. CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS “The fires, that’s what scares me. I live on the third floor and pretty much by myself. And I’m afraid I’m going to burn up in a fire one night, because everybody that lives below me is all the illegals. In the two next to me . . . there are illegals, too, and the smoke alarms are going off day and night there.” “We’re all wanting to get out of here, the Americans,” she said. Another resident, Aaron, said immigration was the biggest issue facing the village, noting the packed apartments. “When it comes to the community center down here, they’re overwhelmed by it. And the churches are overwhelmed, the resources are limited.” Loitering was also an issue mentioned by some residents. HAITIAN MIGRANTS OVERWHELMING SMALL INDIANA TOWN: ‘IT’S JUST OVERRUN’ “There’s just so many of them hanging out, on the streets and the sidewalks. I’d be afraid to walk that way, and I’ve been here 37 years,” Dave, who lives on the town’s east side, told Fox. “I wish something could be done to keep them off the sidewalks.” Other residents pointed to other issues facing the village, like crime and drugs, although not necessarily connected to immigration. Marilyn Bartko, who lives near Lockland, didn’t mention immigration as a top issue. “I would think the need in Lockland for industry, for people to have better housing and better schooling and for the powers that be to work on having less crime,” she said. “Because I think areas like this are often left to their own. People forget, and they say, ‘Lockland’s too dangerous,’ but people don’t try to change things here,” she said. Village Administrator Doug Wehmeyer told Fox News Digital recently that it is leading to around $150,000 in losses for the village, as the illegal immigrants do not pay taxes and are displacing local residents who are moving out of those apartments. “I don’t know how they found our small village. We like it. We think it’s a great place to live, but the quality of life here is definitely being affected by this problem,” he said. Lockland’s case echoes towns and cities like Springfield, Ohio, which saw a surge in Haitian migration in recent years, and Charleroi, Pennsylvania, which has also been overwhelmed by Haitian migration. SWING STATE OFFICIAL WARNS VILLAGE STRUGGLING WITH FINANCIAL LOSSES AFTER INFLUX OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS Former President Trump has pointed to both of those towns as what he saw as the consequences of the Biden administration’s border policies, including its expansion of parole programs via the CBP One app and the use of Temporary Protected Status to protect some from deportation. In terms of illegal immigration, he has promised to continue building a wall at the southern border and restore many of his policies, as well as launch a mass deportation operation. Vice President Kamala Harris has challenged Trump’s narrative, and promised to sign a bipartisan border security bill if elected. But she has also called for a sweeping 2021 bill that also would have included a mass amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants already in the U.S. Fox News’ Emma Woodhead contributed to this report.

Residents in small Ohio village sound off on chaos after massive influx of illegal immigrants: ‘Overhwelmed’

Texas accuses El Paso doctor of providing ‘dangerous’ gender-transition drugs to kids: lawsuit

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against an El Paso doctor this week for allegedly providing sex-change hormones to children in violation of a state statute. Paxton announced the lawsuit against Hector Granados, a pediatric endocrinologist, Wednesday, arguing Granados is “harming the health and safety of Texas children by providing puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to children.” Paxton says such actions are in violation of a Texas law that prohibits “medical providers from prescribing certain gender-affirming treatments, including puberty blockers and hormones, to minors to assist them to medically transition,” according to the statement released by Paxton’s office. ADVOCATE FOR ‘GENDER AFFIRMING CARE’ FOR PRISONERS NAMED BY AG GARLAND TO CORRECTIONS ADVISORY BOARD Under current state law, doctors are not allowed to provide children with puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones or to conduct surgery to affirm their self-professed gender identity in a way that is inconsistent with their biological sex. “Despite the enactment of the law, Granados continues to prescribe and distribute puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to his minor patients for the purposes of transitioning their biological sex or affirming their belief that their gender identity or sex is inconsistent with their biological sex,” the filing alleges. The suit listed 21 anonymous patients Granados has allegedly treated, several of whom were prescribed puberty blockers and others who were provided hormone treatment such as testosterone. The suit alleges Granados has written “unlawful prescriptions for drugs as recently as August 19, 2024, with patients filling those unlawful prescriptions as recently as October 12, 2024.” TRANS ATHLETES IN WOMEN’S SPORTS WILL GET ‘RADICALLY WORSE’ UNDER A HARRIS PRESIDENCY, WARNS TULSI GABBARD The filing also alleges Granados has “engaged in false, misleading, and deceptive acts and practices to mislead pharmacies, insurance providers, and/or patients” by falsifying medical records, prescriptions and other medical documentation. “Texas is cracking down on doctors illegally prescribing dangerous ‘gender transition’ drugs to children,” Paxton said in a statement. “State law forbids prescribing these interventions to minors because they have irreversible and damaging effects. Any physician found doing so will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.” DETRANSITIONER CHLOE COLE SCORCHES LA TIMES FOR SUGGESTING MOVEMENT COULD CAUSE ‘DEATH’ OF TRANS CHILDREN Paxton is seeking temporary and permanent injunctions against Granados that would block him from continuing to prescribe puberty blockers and testosterone and impose civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation. Fox News Digital reached out to Granados for comment but did not immediately hear back. This is the second suit of this nature Paxton has launched this month. The attorney general is also suing Dallas doctor May Lau, alleging the physician provided prohibited “gender transition” hormones to over 20 adolescents in violation of state law Fox News Digital’s Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.

Swing state GOP candidate could hit major milestone in mayoral race amid ‘Republican wave’ optimism

Las Vegas, Nevada, which sits in battleground Clark County in one of the most closely watched swing states in the upcoming election, is home to a mayoral race where a Republican could win for the first time in half a century. Democrat Shelley Berkley and Republican Victoria Seaman, the top two vote-getters in the June primary, will square off on Tuesday to determine who will be mayor of Las Vegas, a city that hasn’t had a Republican mayor since Oran Grayson left office in 1975. Fox News Digital spoke to Councilwoman Seaman about Republican enthusiasm in Nevada and why the climate on the ground is potentially ripe for a conservative to be elected mayor of one of the nation’s most rapidly growing cities. “I think people are tired of extreme liberal policies that simply don’t work, and they want to find common sense solutions,” Seaman told Fox News Digital. “And we’re seeing an incredible Republican wave right now in Clark County. And I think it speaks for itself that people are tired of policies that simply don’t work.” BATTLEGROUND SERIES: KEY SWING STATE’S 6 ELECTORAL VOTES HINGE ON CANDIDATE PERFORMANCES IN THIS COUNTY The mayor, who is considered nonpartisan although the candidates are both affiliated with political parties, is a member of the Las Vegas City Council and is the only member elected at large. The city of Las Vegas does not include the resort-lined Strip, which is in unincorporated Clark County and falls under the jurisdiction of a county commission. Rising housing costs has been a top concern of voters both Democrat and Republican in Nevada which Seaman told Fox News Digital she is committed to addressing if elected mayor. “Almost 87 percent of southern Nevada is owned by the Bureau of Land Management,” Seaman said. “It’s really important to be working with our delegation to make sure that we can get some of this land back and annex that into the city for workforce and affordable housing. And those are the things that I’ve been working on to give incentives to builders. Tax increment financing and all the grants that we’ve been getting from the state and federal government to make sure that we’re working on mixed-use housing. What we’ve done is we’re not leaving anything on the table. We’ve applied for grants, any grants that we can get.” MILLIONS OF VOTERS HAVE ALREADY CAST BALLOTS FOR NOV. 5 ELECTION Seaman, who was recently joined on the campaign trail by the Republican mayors of Dallas, Texas, and Newport Beach, California, told Fox News Digital that in addition to housing, the economy is at the top of the minds of voters in Clark County. “People are struggling and having a hard time, not just with housing, but with putting food on the table,” Seaman said. “So they really want to see those who are going to have bold leadership and make sure that they’re enacting commonsense policies that work for the people.” Seaman called Berkley an “extreme liberal” who supported “extreme liberal policies” when she was in Congress.” “Open borders, she voted against extra security when she was in Congress, and people are tired,” Seaman said. “They want someone who’s going to care about the American people and the constituents.” In a statement to Fox News Digital, Berkley campaign manager Tom Letizia accused Seaman of trying to turn a “non-partisan race” into a “partisan battle with baseless accusations.” “For nearly two years, Shelley Berkley has been focused on the issues that truly matter to Las Vegas: public safety, homelessness, affordable housing, and working toward a fair solution to the Badlands situation—a costly issue Seaman failed to resolve, now burdening taxpayers with millions of dollars,” Letizia said. “Shelley Berkley’s record speaks for itself in tackling real challenges without stooping to divisive, lying attacks.” Nevada’s early voting has been strong for Republicans, which Seaman said is energy she has seen when she speaks with constituents in the county. “We’re seeing a lot of enthusiasm,” Seaman said. “I’m going to leave Las Vegas better than when I found it, and my pledge to the people of Las Vegas is that I want to make it one of the safest cities in the union.” “We have over 42 million tourists coming here every year and so it’s important for our economy that we continue to be a very safe city. I also want to make sure that we diversify the economy. We can’t depend on gaming alone, and that’s something I’ve been doing in the five years that I’ve been on the city council, and I will continue to do that to bring more diversified businesses to Las Vegas.” Associated Press contributed to this report.

Delhi residents defy firecracker ban, illuminate night sky with Diwali celebrations

At 9 pm, Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 327 including at Alipur and Anand Vihar.

A West Texas pecan farm fights to save its water supply as neighbors sell it to growing cities

A yearslong dispute over exporting water to growing Texas cities offers a hint at the battles to come as the state’s population booms and water supply dwindles.

‘Tipping the scales’: House GOP leaders rip ActBlue after Dem fundraising giant hit with subpoena

Top House Republicans are coalescing behind the House Administration Committee’s subpoena of Democratic fundraising giant ActBlue. Republicans have accused the company of having insufficient donor verification standards. Committee Chair Bryan Steil, R-Wis., has argued that the site is vulnerable to fraudulent and illegal foreign donations, though ActBlue has said it “rigorously protects donors’ security.” “ActBlue has a lot of explaining to do, and Chairman Steil is right to demand answers on these very serious allegations of foreign funds being funneled through the platform,” Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., chairman of House Republicans’ campaign arm, told Fox News Digital. “Just as we must protect the right to vote for American citizens, we must ensure our elections are free from foreign financial interference.” FORMER REPUBLICAN US SENATOR ENDORSES KAMALA HARRIS, SAYS ELECTION OFFERS ‘STARK CHOICE’ House GOP Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., also credited Steil and pointed out that his accusations come amid reports that China and Iran are trying to influence the election. “Malign foreign actors are attempting to hijack American elections through the Far Left Democrat fundraising platform ActBlue by tipping the scales in favor of Kamala Harris and Congressional Democrats,” Stefanik said. “It has never been more critical to ensure American elections are free from foreign manipulation.” ActBlue did not require a card verification value (CVV) to be input for donations until recently, prompting a flurry of concern from Republican lawmakers and some GOP state attorneys general. Steil sent multiple letters and requests for information to the platform, which has insisted it holds donor security to a high standard. ‘ILLEGAL, UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND VOID’: GEORGIA JUDGE STRIKES DOWN NEW ELECTION RULES AFTER LEGAL FIGHTS A spokesperson for House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said he was “supportive” of the subpoena, adding, “Only American citizens should be participants in our elections, and this investigation is critical to ensure that our elections remain secure and shielded from foreign actors.” Steil issued a subpoena Wednesday to ActBlue for “documents and communications related to ActBlue’s donor verification policies and the potential for foreign actors, primarily from Iran, Russia, Venezuela, and China to use ActBlue to launder illicit money into U.S. political campaigns.” ActBlue responded to Steil in a statement, “ActBlue has received Chairman Steil’s latest inquiry and will respond to address the continued inaccuracies and misrepresentations about our platform, as we have done previously. We rigorously protect donors’ security and maintain strict anti-fraud compliance practices. We have zero tolerance for fraud on our platform.” SPEAKER JOHNSON RIPS ‘LACK OF LEADERSHIP’ IN BIDEN ADMIN’S HELENE RESPONSE: ‘ALARMED AND DISAPPOINTED’ But fellow Republicans on his committee are standing firm that the subpoena was necessary. Rep. Laurel Lee, R-Fla., the chair of the panel’s subcommittee on elections, told Fox News Digital, “In our investigation so far, we have found that loopholes in ActBlue’s insufficient security protocols may be exploited by bad actors, potentially leading to countries like China, Russia and Venezuela donating to campaigns in the names of Americans without their consent.” “With the general election just five days away, Americans need to have confidence that our elections are secure and that there is no foul play involved,” she said. Committee member Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., said, “The subpoena is critical for the committee to ensure federal campaign finance laws are not being violated, including laundering money into campaign coffers through inadequate security protections.” Meanwhile, Rep. Stephanie Bice, R-Okla., told Fox News Digital, “Like the chairman, I have been concerned by the inadequate security protocols at ActBlue, who haven’t required CVV verification and allow for pre-paid cards for political donations.” The accusations come at a critical time, with Election Day less than a week out. The platform denied all GOP allegations of wrongdoing in a statement to Fox News before Steil’s subpoena, “These false claims about ActBlue have been discredited repeatedly by campaign finance experts. ActBlue protects donors’ information by maintaining a robust security program and fraud prevention measures, often beyond what is required by law.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

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