Who is Elise Stefanik?

Stefanik’s abandonment of her values as a moderate Republican

When she won her first term, at age 30, Stefanik was the youngest woman ever elected to Congress. She was known as a principled hard worker—and somebody who worked with Democrats on all kinds of issues. By one index, she was ranked the 13th most bipartisan member of Congress. Stefanik also spent much of her career working with organizations that defend democratic and civic institutions, including the Foreign Policy Initiative and Harvard’s Institute of Politics. What happened to Elise?^1,2,3

Claims of voter fraud and refusal to certify the election of President Biden on January 6, 2021

Congresswoman Elise Stefanik was one of the 126 House members who signed an amicus brief supporting Texas v. Pennsylvania in December 2020. This was a lawsuit filed at the US Supreme Court contesting the administration of the 2020 presidential election in certain states in which Joe Biden defeated incumbent Donald Trump. The suit sought to temporarily withhold the certified vote count from these 4 states prior to the Electoral College vote on December 14. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case on the basis that Texas lacked standing under Article III of the Constitution to challenge the results of the election held by another state. It was one of the most brazen attempts (out 0f dozens) to have courts selectively disenfranchise millions of voters. The courts rejected virtually all of it.⁴

Following the Insurrection at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, in which police were injured and killed and members of Congress had to be evacuated from the building, Stefanik and 146 of her Republican colleagues voted against certifying the election. She claimed then, and continues to claim now, voter irregularities despite the fact that no court or official investigation found evidence of election fraud.⁵

Stefanik voted no on HR 3233 National Commission to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the US Capitol Complex Act. She has been quoted on Fox and Newsmax as calling the hearings “a political circus” and a “partisan witch hunt”. This is dangerous and divisive rhetoric describing an act of sedition that requires investigation and reporting of the findings to the American people.⁶

Stefanik’s Donors

According to opensecrets.org of the $7.2 million she raised in 2021-2022, in district donation comprises 7.98% of the money coming into her campaign. Perhaps this is the reason for not holding town halls or responding to requests for interviews with local media or not doing her job due to fundraising at Mar-a-Lago.^7,8,9

Cartoon: Elisepionage -n. The dark art of undermining one's constituency, one's party, one's country & one's political career with lies. — Credit: Marquil, on Twitter @EmpireWireNY