Election officials in many battleground states of the United States, have trashed President Donald Trump’s accusation of fraud.
This happened as a postal worker, a star witness for Trump and Republicans in Pennsylvania recanted a story that he saw senior officers backdating mailed ballots to 3 November.
According to New York Times, “Election officials in dozens of states representing both political parties said that there was no evidence that fraud or other irregularities played a role in the outcome of the presidential race.
The denials amount to a forceful rebuke of President Trump’s portrait of a fraudulent election,” the paper of record said on Wednesday in its lead story.
“Over the last several days, the president, members of his administration, congressional Republicans and right wing allies have put forth the false claim that the election was stolen from Mr. Trump and have refused to accept results that showed Joseph R. Biden Jr. as the winner,” The Times explained.
“But top election officials across the country said in interviews and statements that the process had been a remarkable success despite record turnout and the complications of a dangerous pandemic.”
Washington Post reported that a postal worker in Pennsylvania, has recanted his election fraud claim.
The worker, Richard Hopkins became Republicans’ star witness after saying he was aware of widespread ballot tampering by the U.S. Post Office.
He dropped his story after collecting $136,000 from Republican donors, via a GoFundMe campaign.
“Richard Hopkins’ claim that a postmaster in Erie, Pa., instructed postal workers to backdate ballots mailed after Election Day was cited by Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) in a letter to the Department of Justice calling for a federal investigation,” The Washington Post reported.
“Attorney General William P. Barr subsequently authorised federal prosecutors to open probes into credible allegations of voting irregularities and fraud, a reversal of long-standing Justice Department policy.”
Hopkins has now signed an affidavit recanting his false claims, which the House Oversight Committee noted in a Twitter thread.
last week James O’Keefe’s Project Veritas, a far right wing propaganda machine that specializes in creating false narratives for Republicans to use against the left, promoted Hopkins’ allegations. Later Hopkins allowed his name to be used.
“He was instantly celebrated by Trump supporters,” The Post reported.
On Saturday O’Keefe called Hopkins “an American hero.”
By Tuesday a GoFundMe page bearing Hopkins’ name “had raised more than $129,000 by Tuesday morning, with donors praising him as a patriot and whistleblower.”
A video on that page shows a man identified as Hopkins, delivering the mail. The video at one point has a finger blocking the camera lens.
That page as of Tuesday evening listed $136,246 in donations.
“My name is Richard Hopkins and I currently work for the United States Postal Service in Erie, Pennsylvania and I am willing to testify under oath that 2020 Presidential Election ballots are being backdated to November 3rd by my supervisors,” the page reads.
“I made the difficult decision to risk everything in my life to come forward with this information of extreme wrongdoing by the Post Office. I am uncertain of what the future holds for me but I felt the public had a right to know what is really going on. Your donations are going to help me in the case I am wrongfully terminated from my job or I am forced into resigning due to ostrizization [sic] by my coworkers. It will help me get a new start in a place I feel safe and help me with child support until I am able to get settled and get a job.The Post Office has already been threatening my employment. I am scared for myself, my family, and those closest to me. Thank you James O’Keefe and Project Veritas for letting me tell my story when others wouldn’t. Please support me as I go forward with this battle.”
