A Pennsylvania postal worker has admitted he fabricated claims of voting irregularities in the 2020 election that were picked up by the Trump campaign as evidence of fraud, according to congressional investigators.
The case had been cited by Republicans as evidence of widespread ballot tampering in a letter to the Justice Department calling for an investigation.
Richard Hopkins, 32, a U.S. Postal Service employee in Erie, Pa., first alleged last week that his supervisor had instructed staff to backdate mail-in ballots cast after Election Day in order to get them counted — which would be illegal.
But after US Postal Service investigators spoke to Richard Hopkins he admitted his claims were false, according to members of the House Oversight congressional committee cited by the Washington Post.
Reacting to the news, the Democrat-led committee tweeted: “IG investigators informed committee staff today that they interviewed Hopkins on Friday, but that Hopkins RECANTED HIS ALLEGATIONS yesterday and did not explain why he signed a false affidavit.”
The tweet:
BREAKING NEWS: Erie, Pa. #USPS whistleblower completely RECANTED his allegations of a supervisor tampering with mail-in ballots after being questioned by investigators, according to IG.
THREAD:
— Oversight Committee Democrats (@OversightDems) November 10, 2020
Donald Trump has refused to concede the election despite the projected victory of Joe Biden, claiming voter fraud without providing any evidence to back up the allegations.
(LIB)