A bunch of Pennsylvania nuns is combating again after a conservative voter organizer publicly accused them on social media of falsifying their voter information to assist fraudulently swing the presidential election within the Democrats’ favor.
The Benedictine Sisters of Erie mentioned Wednesday that they’re contemplating authorized counsel after dozens of nuns had been accused of falsely figuring out the monastery as their authorized residence of their voter registrations when it’s, actually, the place they reside.
“To be unjustly accused of voter fraud is simply actually disgusting, ugly,” Sister Stephanie Schmidt, the prioress, instructed The Washington Submit of the allegations made on X by Cliff Maloney, who based the conservative group PA Chase.
Maloney’s posts have resulted within the monastery receiving complaints from throughout the nation, Schmidt mentioned.
The nightmare follows Maloney alleging Tuesday that one in every of his door tits had visited the nuns’ monastery to test on the standing of an unreturned mail-in poll that was registered to a Republican. Whereas there, somebody on the property instructed him that nobody lives there, regardless of 53 voters — the overwhelming majority listed as “liberal” — being registered as residing on the handle.
In a following put up, one which’s acquired greater than 2.7 million views, Maloney surmised that voter fraud was being dedicated.
“Our lawyer’s are reviewing this proper now. We is not going to let the Dems rely on unlawful votes,” he wrote whereas publicly sharing the names of the ladies listed as residing on the handle. “As soon as we have now proof, we might be content material,” he added.
Maloney didn’t say who his employee spoke with and whether or not he had tried to succeed in out on to the monastery or native authorities earlier than making his declare publicly. When contacted by JHB, he forwarded a hyperlink to a previous remark he had made and didn’t reply any questions.
Maloney instructed The Washington Submit that his group is “working to substantiate” that the ladies reside on the monastery’s handle and that in the event that they don’t reside there, “we’ll have a look at the subsequent step to take to be sure that solely authorized votes are forged.”
A spokesperson with Pennsylvania’s Division of State, which handles voter fraud allegations inside the state, instructed JHB on Thursday that the division is wanting into whether or not a report has been filed in relation to Maloney’s claims.
“We need to be on public file as having known as out this fraud in order that if the end result of subsequent month’s election is contested in Pennsylvania our integrity is not going to be known as into query.”
– The Benedictine Sisters of Erie
Sister Linda Romey, coordinator of communications and improvement with the monastery, instructed JHB that there isn’t any proof that somebody working with Maloney truly spoke to somebody on the monastery, nevertheless.
“We have no idea him nor do any of our sisters bear in mind ever speaking with anybody asking these sorts of questions,” she mentioned in an e mail. “There is just one public entrance to the monastery, it’s a big entrance entrance, and there’s a reception desk contained in the door the place a sister welcomes company all day lengthy.”
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In a public assertion, Schmidt known as on Maloney to take accountability for “his blatantly false put up that accuses our sisters of fraud.” She additionally urged others to hunt extra info earlier than “unquestioningly” accepting something they learn on social media as factual.
“We do reside at Mount Saint Benedict Monastery and a easy net search would alert him to our energetic presence in a lot of ministries in Erie,” she mentioned.
The monastery added that it’s pursuing authorized counsel relating to what it believes quantities to public defamation.
“We’re sharing our expertise in an effort to extend scrutiny and to encourage others to ask questions and search info,” the monastery mentioned. “We need to be on public file as having known as out this fraud in order that if the end result of subsequent month’s election is contested in Pennsylvania our integrity is not going to be known as into query.”
Romey additionally instructed JHB that the nuns have calls deliberate for Thursday with Pennsylvania’s Division of State and Secretary of State Al Schmidt, whom she mentioned Sister Schmidt has no relation to, to additional focus on the matter. She added that nobody on the monastery has had direct contact with Maloney, although she mentioned that he — or every other customer — can be welcome to cease by and share a meal and prayer with them.