Pennsylvania
Doug Mastriano Is Keeping A Big Secret From Pennsylvania Voters
Doug Mastriano has a secret. The Republican nominee for Pennsylvania governor says he’s chosen somebody to function the commonwealth’s subsequent secretary of state — a place that can maintain huge energy over the 2024 presidential election. However he received’t inform voters who it’s.
In regular circumstances, that reticence to call a key appointment so early in a gubernatorial contest would hardly be notable. However secretary of state positions have attracted unprecedented consideration because the 2020 election, as Republican candidates who’ve embraced the conspiracy principle that the presidential election was stolen from Donald Trump have lined as much as run for positions that will give them the facility to supervise future elections. And Mastriano is among the nation’s foremost election skeptics: The state senator tried to overturn the outcomes of the 2020 presidential election in Pennsylvania, then bused supporters to Washington, D.C., on the day of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
As a result of Pennsylvania is one in all simply three states during which the governor appoints the secretary of state, the 2022 gubernatorial race is basically a “Purchase one, get one” deal for Republican election deniers: A Mastriano victory all however ensures that the subsequent secretary of the commonwealth will probably be somebody who shares his anti-democratic zeal towards the 2020 election and who might work intently with Mastriano to roll again voting rights, overhaul Pennsylvania’s election system and even refuse to certify future outcomes, together with within the 2024 presidential contest.
Mastriano understands the facility he would maintain as governor. He argued to Republican voters in the course of the main that he might “decertify each voting machine” had been he elected, and he has overtly hinted that he has already chosen a possible secretary of state who shares his views.
“As governor, I get to nominate the secretary of state. And I’ve a voting-reform-minded particular person who’s been touring the nation and is aware of voting reform extraordinarily nicely,” Mastriano stated throughout an April look on ex-Trump adviser Steve Bannon’s podcast. “That particular person has agreed to be my secretary of state.”
He later informed a neighborhood Pennsylvania information station that he has already assembled “a workforce of individuals that will work for this particular person.”
Michael M. Santiago by way of Getty Photographs
Amongst Pennsylvania Democrats, there’s little doubt that Mastriano intends to appoint an election skeptic. However given the implications of the race, particularly because the “huge lie” stays the animating pressure of Republican politics, additionally they say he owes it to Pennsylvania voters to return clear about whom he’s contemplating ― or has already chosen ― to fill the place.
“He completely ought to inform us proper now, figuring out how vital of a subject spreading the ‘huge lie’ is for Doug,” stated state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (D). “The governor makes many appointments… however that is one the place Doug has made clear it’s foremost in his thoughts and that his report has made it clear is foremost in his thoughts. And he’s going to should, as a marketing campaign promise, choose someone extremely radical.”
Mastriano’s refusal to call his choose has fueled hypothesis about whom he would possibly select, and progressives within the state have listened intently for clues as a way to develop a working record of contenders. Mastriano as soon as referred to his selection as a “her” and stated it might be “one of many main figures of the nation on voting integrity.” He claims the “workforce round her” would come with “a number of individuals which might be very educated of Pennsylvania, who’re going to get the elections cleaned up in my first yr.”
Their finest guesses — and they’re simply knowledgeable guesses — are Mastriano allies who share his fervor for the “huge lie.” They embrace former Trump adviser Jenna Ellis, who’s now advising the Mastriano marketing campaign; Toni Shuppe, the co-founder of Audit the Vote PA, a bunch that sought to decertify the outcomes of Trump’s loss in Pennsylvania; and Ivan Raiklin, an affiliate of former Trump advisers who unfold baseless conspiracy theories in regards to the election within the weeks main as much as the Jan. 6 revolt.
Mastriano, a Christian nationalist who has made headlines in latest weeks for paying a well known antisemite as a marketing campaign guide, doesn’t have interaction with inquiries from mainstream information retailers and didn’t reply to a request for touch upon this story.
Ellis might definitely be thought of a “main determine” within the U.S. election denial motion. She joined the Trump White Home as a senior authorized adviser in 2019, later partnering with Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s private lawyer, to kind what she referred to as an “elite strike pressure workforce” to overturn the honest outcomes of the 2020 presidential election.
She and Giuliani toured the nation collectively, showing in key battleground states ― together with Pennsylvania, alongside Mastriano ― to unfold conspiracy theories about voter fraud and to attempt to persuade conservative state lawmakers that that they had the authorized authority to ship their very own Trump-supporting electors to the Electoral School.
Earlier this yr, the Home choose committee investigating the Jan. 6 revolt subpoenaed Ellis, partially over her “direct contact with the previous President about makes an attempt to cease the counting of electoral votes,” in line with a letter from committee chair Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.). And earlier this month she acquired a subpoena from a particular grand jury in Georgia concerning two authorized memos she despatched to Trump “advising that Vice President Mike Pence ought to disregard licensed electoral school votes from Georgia.”
Ellis has claimed to be a “constitutional legislation legal professional,” though a New York Instances assessment of her profession exhibits no such experience. She is just not licensed to follow legislation in Pennsylvania.
Rey Del Rio by way of Getty Photographs
When a HuffPost reporter adopted Ellis on Twitter in an try and request remark for this story, she tweeted on the reporter earlier than he might ask her a query in regards to the Pennsylvania secretary of state gig.
“Right here’s my remark: Get an actual job,” she stated, including a clown-face emoji.
Shuppe, the co-founder of Audit the Vote PA, was one other topic of hypothesis amongst Pennsylvania progressives who spoke with HuffPost. She emerged as a outstanding member of Pennsylvania’s election denial motion after her group led a petition drive geared toward decertifying or nullifying the outcomes of the 2020 presidential election, which Democrat Joe Biden received.
Shuppe and her group additionally led the cost for an audit of Pennsylvania’s election that will comply with the contours of the conspiratorial Cyber Ninjas assessment of election ends in Arizona’s Maricopa County ― a flawed course of that however didn’t unearth any actual proof of malfeasance within the state’s most populous county. Shuppe unfold bogus claims that Pennsylvania voting machines had been hacked by China and has stated that Biden is “surely an illegitimate, fraudulently put in, FAKE President.”
She has additionally embraced different conspiracy theories standard on the far-right, together with QAnon, Pizzagate and one which claimed Wayfair engaged in baby intercourse trafficking by way of its standard furnishings gross sales, in line with Enterprise Insider.
Audit the Vote PA carried out its personal canvasses of a number of Pennsylvania counties after the election in an try and show that widespread fraud and irregularity had occurred. However when it shared its knowledge with LancasterOnline, a information outlet in one of many counties it canvassed, the newspaper discovered that Audit the Vote PA’s course of was “rife with errors and hypothesis and that its methodology was deeply flawed, errors that undermine its conclusion and make its findings unreliable.” (Shuppe and Audit the Vote PA disputed that characterization in a prolonged assertion on the group’s web site.)
Mastriano, who traveled to Phoenix to witness the Cyber Ninjas course of in particular person, endorsed Audit the Vote PA’s efforts to carry an Arizona-style assessment to Pennsylvania. Shuppe backed Mastriano’s candidacy on this spring’s GOP main. She didn’t return a request for remark about whether or not she had spoken to Mastriano in regards to the place or one other election-related function.
Raiklin is an Military veteran who, like Ellis and Shuppe, sought to overturn the 2020 election. Working alongside retired Gen. Michael Flynn, a former nationwide safety adviser within the Trump White Home, Raiklin used his army expertise to recommend that he had the power to suss out fraud throughout a pre-election discussion board. In December 2020, he crafted a plan referred to as “Operation Pence Card” that referred to as on Trump to have his vice chairman reject legit electoral votes, Reuters reported final yr.
The plan was just like the “pretend electors” scheme Trump allies tried to make use of to maintain him in energy, and though it’s unclear if Raiklin impressed it, Trump retweeted a model of it a month earlier than the revolt.
Julio Cortez/Related Press
Raiklin attended Mastriano’s main victory social gathering in Might, and he left little doubt about what he took away from the victory. “Twenty electoral votes as nicely,” he informed Mastriano, in line with a video posted on Telegram and initially reported by The Washington Publish. It was a transparent allusion to Pennsylvania’s Electoral School votes and Mastriano’s newfound proximity to energy over them.
Pennsylvania observers burdened that the record of potential contenders could also be lengthy. It might embrace any of the 20 individuals who signed on to Trump’s “pretend electors” scheme in Pennsylvania, county officers who’ve refused to certify outcomes on this yr’s main contests, Mastriano allies within the state legislature or anybody else affiliated with the “huge lie” motion nationwide.
“There are not any guardrails round his appointment besides that they should be confirmed,” stated J.J. Abbott, a former senior staffer for present Gov. Tom Wolf (D). “So it doesn’t should be somebody from PA. They might have by no means set foot in Pennsylvania.”
Legal professional Common Josh Shapiro, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee, this week started airing tv advertisements that hit Mastriano for making an attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential vote. The advertisements accused him of wanting “to choose the winner” in future Pennsylvania contests and replayed his feedback about decertifying election machines.
A June ballot from Suffolk College confirmed Shapiro forward, 44% to 40%. The shut margin has brought about Republicans who initially feared that Mastriano might price them a winnable election to fall in line behind him.
However Mastriano’s election denialism and different controversies ― together with marketing campaign funds to Gab, the far-right social media website that has served as a haven for antisemitism and right-wing hate ― could also be denting his probabilities. Shapiro led Mastriano by 10 proportion factors in a Fox Information ballot launched on Friday, and he now holds an 8-point benefit in FiveThirtyEight’s polling common.
Victory for simply one of many GOP election deniers who’ve already received primaries or are anticipated to within the subsequent month might jeopardize the integrity of the 2024 presidential election, during which Trump could also be on the poll once more. And due to the Pennsylvania governor’s appointment powers, a Mastriano win might be a double whammy for American democracy.
“He might trigger a lot chaos in our elections,” Abbott stated, “simply by having somebody there who’s off the rails.”
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania teacher arrested in Russia on drug charges is wrongfully detained: US officials
A Pennsylvania history teacher arrested in Russia on drug charges has been officially designated as wrongfully detained, US officials announced Friday.
Marc Fogel, a husband and father of two, was arrested in 2021 when he and his wife flew to Russia to teach. He was caught at the airport with what his family said was medically prescribed marijuana that he took for chronic back pain.
Fogel is currently serving a 14-year prison sentence.
The US State Department determined in October that Fogel was wrongfully detained but just confirmed the designation Friday.
Fogel was omitted from a prisoner swap in August that included the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, corporate security executive Paul Whelan and others.
“The United States has been working to secure Marc Fogel’s release for some time,” the State Department said in a statement. “We have long called for his humanitarian release and tried to include him in the August 1 deal, but were unable to.”
Fogel’s wife, Jane, and his sons, Ethan and Sam, said in a statement that “The State Department has finally acknowledged what we have known all along — that our husband and father, Marc Fogel, has and continues to be wrongfully detained.
“Now that we have the full force of the U.S. government behind us, we must do everything in our power to bring Marc home as quickly and safely as possible.”
The designation means the federal government is now legally required to work for his release. His case will be transferred to the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, which deals with hostage and detainee releases.
In making the determination, the State Department considers factors, including if there is credible information that the person is innocent and if the country holding the prisoner is seeking to influence US policy or get concessions from the US government.
With Post wires
From the Keystone state’s pivotal role in the presidential election to a tragedy that shocked the NHL world to the capture of an alleged CEO killer, 2024 was an eventful year for the Philadelphia, New Jersey and Delaware region. Take a look at the biggest stories of the year below and watch NBC10’s look back at 2024 in the video embedded above!
Pennsylvania’s pivotal role during the presidential race and election
The presidential race was arguably the biggest story of the year and Pennsylvania played a pivotal role.
Republican Donald Trump was wounded during an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, over the summer. Trump and his Democratic opponent Kamala Harris also heavily focused on Pennsylvania – a key battleground state – throughout their campaigns with multiple rallies and in the case of Harris, a star studded campaign event in Philadelphia on election eve.
Trump and Harris also held their first and only presidential debate in Philadelphia.
Ultimately, it was Trump’s victory in Pennsylvania that paved the way to him winning the presidential election.
There were also plenty of viral moments during the presidential race, including a giant naked statue of Trump in Philadelphia as well as Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner repeatedly warning potential election disruptors to “F around and find out.”
CHOP doctor struck, killed while riding bike in Philly
The death of Dr. Barabara Friedes rocked Philadelphia’s biking community.
Friedes – a pediatric doctor who had just been named a chief resident at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia – was struck and killed by a driver while she was riding her bike in Center City over the summer. Police said the driver of the striking vehicle was speeding and collided with Friedes while she was riding in a designated bike lane.
The driver, Michael Vahey, was eventually arrested and charged with DUI.
Friedes’ parents spoke out after their daughter’s death, stating they were working to ensure changes that will help keep bikers safe throughout the city.
Philly-area and NJ athletes shine during the Olympics
The 2024 Paris Olympics was a rousing success and the Philadelphia-area was represented well during the games.
Philadelphia native Kahleah Copper and Pennsylvania Alyssa Thomas were members of the U.S. women’s basketball team that took home the Gold.
Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid also won Gold as a member of the U.S. men’s basketball team.
New Jersey native Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone won Gold in the Women’s 4x400m event as well as the Women’s 400m hurdles.
Take a look at the full list of local winners here.
A wild year in Philly sports
As usual, sports was a big story for Philadelphia this year.
Both the Phillies and Eagles had promising starts to their seasons that ended in disappointment, with the Phils losing to the Mets in the NLDS and the Eagles losing six of their last seven games after starting the season 10-1.
After the season ended, Eagles legend Jason Kelce announced his retirement.
Months after his retirement, Kelce was involved in a high profile incident off the field in which he was captured on video smashing a man’s phone after hearing a gay slur being directed at his brother, Travis, for dating star artist Taylor Swift.
The Sixers’ promising start to the 2023-2024 season also ended in disappointment as the team struggled following an injury to Joel Embiid. They then fought their way from the play-in to the playoffs only to lose to the New York Knicks in a wild first-round series.
The Sixers’ troubles continued at the start of the 2024-2025 season with a losing record despite the acquisition of Paul George and issues for Embiid with lingering injuries and an altercation with a reporter.
But the biggest Sixers story of the year happened off the court with the team’s controversial plan to move from the Wells Fargo Center in South Philadelphia and build an arena in Center City’s Market East neighborhood.
City Council ultimately approved the $1.3 billion plan which has been met by continuous protests from residents living in the city’s Chinatown community.
The deaths of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau
The sports world suffered a major loss with the deaths of NHL star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew. Both brothers were riding their bikes in South Jersey on the eve of what was supposed to be their sister’s wedding in August when they were struck and killed by a car.
The driver, Sean Higgins, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence.
After their deaths, tributes for the brothers poured out from the hockey community and beyond.
Family tragedies in Bucks, Delaware counties
Two horrific family tragedies rocked communities in Bucks and Delaware counties this year.
In February 2024, Xuong Le killed five of his own family members before taking his own life in a shooting and house fire in East Lansdowne, officials said.
In April 2024, Andre Gordon allegedly killed his stepmother, Karen Gordon, his teen sister Kera Gordon and Taylor Daniel, the mother of his two children, in Bucks County, before being captured hours later in Trenton, New Jersey.
Spectacles above and below
A pair of cosmic spectacles captured the entire region.
In April 2024, a solar eclipse was visible across the United States, including in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, though it wasn’t quite as visible as people expected due to cloud cover.
A near-total solar eclipse over Philadelphia was obscured by cloud cover for some, just ask Flyers mascot Gritty. However, in places along the path of totality from Mexico to Texas to the Midwest, skies remained clear enough to see the celestial show. Plus, video shows a slashing attack on two South Jersey police officers. And, a Florida woman says she couldn’t believe it when an alligator walked into her home. Finally, cherry blossom season is in bloom in Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park. NBC10’s Keith Jones and Lucy Bustamante deliver The Lineup on Tuesday, April 9, 2024.
In October 2024, there was a rare sighting of the Northern Lights across the Philadelphia region.
A geomagnetic storm led to the northern lights being visible Thursday night over Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Did you get a chance to see it?
The spectacles weren’t just in the sky however. In April 2024, an earthquake hit New Jersey and its impact was felt throughout the East Coast, including Pennsylvania and Delaware.
Our very own Brian Sheehan experienced an aftershock while preparing for his live shot, leading to a viral moment.
Pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses
Amid the Israel-Hamas War, pro-Palestinian protests and encampments occurred at college campuses across the country throughout the year, including Drexel University and the University of Pennsylvania.
New Jersey wildfires and drones
Autumn’s dry conditions led to several wildfires in New Jersey as fire crews fought flames throughout the Garden State.
Camden County’s health director Caryelle Lasher caught up with NBC10’s Aaron Baskerville to discuss the impacts of the four wildfires in New Jersey.
Also in New Jersey, mystery drone sightings in November and December led to concerns from residents and politicians.
Alleged CEO killer’s Philly connection
University of Pennsylvania graduate Luigi Mangione was arrested in Pennsylvania after shooting and killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside of a New York City hotel, investigators said.
Thompson’s murder and the subsequent search and capture of Mangione sparked a nationwide conversation about the healthcare system following the discovery of the alleged killer’s manifesto which was strongly critical of the healthcare industry.
The Pennsylvania Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Friday, Dec. 27, 2024 results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from Dec. 27 drawing
03-07-37-49-55, Mega Ball: 06, Megaplier: 3
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 2 numbers from Dec. 27 drawing
Day: 8-8, Wild: 8
Evening: 7-7, Wild: 7
Check Pick 2 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from Dec. 27 drawing
Day: 6-6-2, Wild: 8
Evening: 6-8-3, Wild: 7
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from Dec. 27 drawing
Day: 9-3-6-5, Wild: 8
Evening: 8-3-8-7, Wild: 7
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 5 numbers from Dec. 27 drawing
Day: 5-5-9-7-3, Wild: 8
Evening: 3-3-5-6-5, Wild: 7
Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash4Life numbers from Dec. 27 drawing
10-11-21-28-51, Cash Ball: 04
Check Cash4Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 5 numbers from Dec. 27 drawing
03-04-24-27-42
Check Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Treasure Hunt numbers from Dec. 27 drawing
06-10-11-19-24
Check Treasure Hunt payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Match 6 Lotto numbers from Dec. 27 drawing
04-06-26-27-29-38
Check Match 6 Lotto payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
- Sign the Ticket: Ensure your ticket has your signature, name, address and phone number on the back.
- Prizes up to $600: Claim at any PA Lottery retailer or by mail: Pennsylvania Lottery, ATTN: CLAIMS, PO BOX 8671, Harrisburg, PA 17105.
- Prizes from $600 to $2,500: Use a Claim Form to claim at a retailer or by mail: Pennsylvania Lottery, ATTN: CLAIMS, PO BOX 8671, Harrisburg, PA 17105.
- Prizes over $2,500: Mail your signed ticket with a Claim Form or in person at a Lottery Area Office (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
Lottery Headquarters is currently not open to the public. Visit the PA Lottery website for other office locations near you.
When are the Pennsylvania Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 11 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 2, 3, 4, 5: 1:35 p.m. and 6:59 p.m. daily.
- Cash4Life: 9 p.m. daily.
- Cash 5: 6:59 p.m. daily.
- Treasure Hunt: 1:35 p.m. daily.
- Match 6 Lotto: 6:59 p.m. Monday and Thursday.
- Powerball Double Play: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Pennsylvania editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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