The board of commissioners chair at the center of the voting controversy in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, involving the Senate race between Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) and Republican challenger David McCormick said her comments about violating laws were “misinterpreted.”
Diane Ellis-Marseglia tried to walk back her words on Monday, suggesting she did not mean she supported breaking the law or violating the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. She claimed that what she said was misinterpreted, misconstrued, and taken out of context, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. She also apologized for her comment and the “confusion it caused.”
“I apologize for all the upset and confusion it caused,” said Ellis-Marseglia, a Democrat in Bucks County.
Last Thursday, Ellis-Marseglia was one of two Bucks County commissioners who voted to count ballots that did not have the necessary signatures to be considered valid. This decision directly violated what Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court ruled earlier this year. The controversy was propelled into the national spotlight due to the close race between Casey and McCormick.
“I think we all know that precedent by a court doesn’t matter anymore in this country, and people violate laws anytime they want,” Ellis-Marseglia said last week. “So, for me, if I violate this law, it’s because I want a court to pay attention to it.”
Many Republicans and Democrats criticized her words, including Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA), who rebuked the Democrats on the board who disobeyed the court’s ruling.
“Any insinuation that our laws can be ignored or do not matter is irresponsible and does damage to faith in our electoral process,” Shapiro said. “It is critical for counties and officials in both parties to respect it with both their rhetoric and their actions.”
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In light of the controversy caused by the Democrats in Bucks County, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court repeated its position and added a ruling not to count any ballot that did not meet the necessary requirements, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. This action was found to be pleasing to Ellis-Marseglia, who, despite her apology on Monday, claimed the ruling was helpful because it gave her clarity on the legality of the ballots and what to do with them.
“This is exactly what I was hoping for, for the court to weigh in and give us clarity,” Ellis-Marseglia said. “We were under a stay, and now, we have full clarity.”
