For Immediate Release
June 30, 2022
Contact: Michael Berman, [email protected]
New Polling Shows That a Majority of Pennsylvanians Think the Effort to Overturn the 2020 Election is a Problem
VIEW A RECORDING OF THE NEWS CONFERENCE HERE
Philadelphia, PA– Today, former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, Defend Democracy Project Co-Chair Brad Woodhouse and advocates joined a virtual press briefing hosted by the Defend Democracy Project to discuss what we’ve learned so far, new public opinion research on Pennsylvanians’ attitudes about the hearings, and the ongoing threat to our democracy.
As the public hearings from the January 6th Committee have shown so far, Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans planned, promoted, and paid for a criminal conspiracy, in an attempt to overturn the will of the voters and remain in office – and they are not done yet. These hearings are of special interest to Pennsylvanians, where Rep. Scott Perry is under subpoena by the January 6 committee for his communications with Trump administration officials involved in planning the events of Jan. 6th. He has refused to cooperate with the investigation, slowing the process and hindering investigators looking for the truth. This year in Pennsylvania, Doug Mastriano—a leading election conspiracy theorist who has been subpoenaed by the committee for leading buses to the Capitol on January 6—is running for governor in a bid to control the state’s electoral apparatus for the next election.
Experts discussed what we’ve learned so far in the hearing, the ongoing conspiracy threatening our rights, and why it is essential to hold those involved accountable – no matter if they are past presidents, members of Congress, or other elected officials. This is the only way we will protect our right to vote and choose our own leaders, and stop the current campaign to overturn elections in the future.
“The hearings matter. Americans are paying attention, they are concerned and they want accountability in the courts and at the ballot box,” said Defend Democracy Project co-chair Brad Woodhouse. “Americans now know unequivocally that Trump engaged in a criminal conspiracy with his Republican allies to overturn an election he lost, and supported the violent attack on our country on Jan 6. And we know that the conspiracy continues, with allegations of witness tampering, continued failure of people who know the truth to tell the truth, silence from elected Republicans, and the victories by Republican candidates in the primaries who supported the conspiracy and want to be able to overturn future elections they lose.”
“The ongoing hearings are critically important in helping the American public understand exactly what was at stake not only on January 6th, but that there was plotting and planning going on before January 6th,” said Former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter. “When it comes to Pennsylvania specifically, one of our own, Representative Scott Perry, is currently under subpoena by the committee and it’s known that Donald Trump pressured Pennsylvania officials in an attempt to overturn Pennsylvania’s chosen slate of electors.”
“These hearings are shocking, you think that we’ve reached the end of toxic politics, then things go further. Our rights to have good public policy are about our right to self-determination, which people are trying to take away. The principles of representative democracy need to be preserved,” said Susan Gobreski, of the We the People Campaign. “Pennsylvanians do not want our elections overturned, to be undermined by sore losers and falsehoods. We don’t want our local elected officials being pressured, let alone participating in the undermining of our elections.”
Watch the news conference here and learn more about the Defend Democracy Project here.
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