Sit down for this, it might come as a shock, but it turns out the USPS worker cited by James O’Keefe’s Project Veritas, Senator Lindsay Graham, and others as proof of vote by mail fraud has admitted to lying. That’s the conclusion of the USPS inspector general’s report on the alleged fraud in 2020 election in Pennsylvania.
U.S. Postal Service investigators found no evidence to support a Pennsylvania postal worker’s claim that his supervisors had tampered with mail-in ballots, according to an USPS inspector general’s report — allegations cited by top Republicans to press baseless claims of fraud in the presidential election.
Richard Hopkins, a mail carrier in Erie, alleged in November that he overheard the local postmaster discussing plans to backdate ballots received after the Nov. 3 vote and pass them off to election officials as legitimate. Working with Project Veritas, a nonprofit entity that seeks to expose what it says is bias in the mainstream news media, Hopkins publicly released a sworn affidavit recounting those allegations.
Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) cited Hopkins’s claim in a letter to the Justice Department in November calling for a federal investigation into election results in Pennsylvania, where Joe Biden beat President Donald Trump by more than 81,000 votes, and Democratic candidates outperformed GOP challengers in votes submitted by mail.
Graham and many other congressional Republicans refused to accept the outcome of the election for weeks, even after states audited and certified results.
Then-Attorney General William P. Barr subsequently authorized federal prosecutors to open investigations into credible allegations of voting irregularities and fraud before results were certified, a reversal of long-standing Justice Department policy.
Postal worker recanted allegations of ballot tampering, officials say
But Hopkins soon recanted, officials from the Postal Service’s Office of Inspector General told members of Congress on Nov. 10, and the new investigation confirmed. In an interview with federal agents, Hopkins “revised his initial claims, eventually stating that he had not heard a conversation about ballots at all — rather he saw the Postmaster and Supervisor having a discussion and assumed it was about fraudulent ballot backdating,” the report states.
Hopkins “acknowledged that he had no evidence of any backdated presidential ballots and could not recall any specific words said by the postmaster or supervisor,” according to the report, which was published by the inspector general’s office in late February and posted Monday to the blog 21st Century Postal Worker.
The Erie postmaster, Rob Weisenbach, called the allegations “100% false” in a Facebook post in November and said they were made “by an employee that was recently disciplined multiple times.”
“The Erie Post Office did not back date any ballots,” Weisenbach wrote.
Hopkins’s name is redacted in the investigative report, but the document refers extensively to his claim and involvement with Project Veritas and the group’s founder, James O’Keefe.
Hopkins has been suspended without pay since Nov. 10, according to a person with knowledge of the situation, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss confidential personnel matters. A disciplinary letter to Hopkins from a Postal Service supervisor states that Hopkins’s “actions may have placed employees and yourself as well as the reputation of the U.S. Postal Service in harm’s way,” the person said.
Read the whole USPS inspector general report that finds no evidence of claims of ballot fraud here:
USPS Election Report
Even though we know all the players, what’s up with all the redactions?Report
Part of the Union contract was what I was told when I inquired, but couldn’t verify or get a consistent answer on it. Report
This is my shocked face.
😐
To date, every witness seems to be someone who was looking for their 15 minutes of fame and hoping that Trump would win and they’d avoid any kind of reckoning.Report
Wow O’Keefe turned out to be pushing a lie again. There was only a greater then 100% chance of that happening. The only people who pay attention to him are those that want to be lied to or find the lies useful.Report
Sit down for this, it might come as a shock, but it turns out the USPS worker cited by James O’Keefe’s Project Veritas, Senator Lindsay Graham, and others as proof of vote by mail fraud has admitted to lying.
The First Amendment protects their right to lie!
Report
He mentioned Rico just to grate on Ken white. Dominion is going to be the biggest pillow maker / broadcaster combo in the countryReport
I would pay more attention if this was the sort of pillow fight where they fall exhausted on the bed and begin making out.Report
Who could have ever seen this coming?Report
Sadly, no matter how many actual law enforcement reports or investigations or intelligence assessments are produced, Republican politicians will continue to spin the line that the election was fraudulent because they see it as their only remaining path to power.
That said I sure do miss George Turner on threads like this . . . .Report
No joke! We’re sorely lacking the conspiracy theorist angle here.Report
Apparently Joe is on a green screen or cgi when he talked to the press yesterday. He’s really dead or incapacitated.Report
Have you ever seen Joe Biden and Max Headroom in the same room?
Hmmmm…Report
Behind the scenes it’s all AOC and her Green Screen Deal.Report
Aaron and George.. this past election has cost us dearly.Report
“Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) cited Hopkins’s claim in a letter to the Justice Department in November calling for a federal investigation into election results in Pennsylvania…”
Do you think when the investigation was announced, Graham was like, “Oh fuck?” I mean, did these guys forget their team held most of the levers of power and thus they actually COULD get the investigations into the BS claims they were making and that the BS would be exposed?Report
This was not “planning”, it was “virtue signaling”.Report