As AFN reported last week, the Chicago area-based Heartland Institute recently released a study conducted with Rassmussen Reports that provides proof that the 2020 election was stolen and that Donald Trump should have been re-elected. One of the problem states in 2020 was Pennsylvania where the Democratic secretary of state changed the election laws, due to COVID.
Jim Lakely is vice president and director of communications at The Heartland Institute. He grew up in Pennsylvania and knows politics in the state very well.
"… I was very frustrated, outraged really, at what happened in Pennsylvania [in 2020] in that it was not legal for the secretary of state to arbitrarily change election law which is what happened," he tells AFN.
"And then the State Supreme Court in Pennsylvania – which is a partisan, elected position dominated by Democrats – [took] the case … and they said no, it's fine. So, frankly the entire election in Pennsylvania was sketchy and it was set up to be that way – and that's an outrage."
Lakely argues that the Republican-controlled state legislature must assert itself and hold the Democratic governor and secretary of state accountable to the people as November approaches. "There should be at least a public embarrassment and punishment to pay," he emphasizes.
He also says those state officials should have to explain their actions
"Why are you vetoing a bill that would outlaw ballot harvesting? Why are you vetoing a bill that would forbid unattended and unsecure election drop boxes? These sorts of things cannot happen in America," he contends. "Post-war Iraq had more secure elections than the United States of America in 2024."
