The FBI has as soon as once more pointed fingers at Russia, asserting {that a} viral video allegedly displaying Pennsylvania mail ballots marked for Donald Trump being torn up was crafted by “Russian actors.”
The video, which made waves throughout social media final week, seems to point out a employee discarding ballots marked for Trump, whereas these for Kamala Harris have been left untouched.
WATCH:
Board of Elections Issued Assertion on viral video of ballots being ripped up: “The envelope and supplies depicted on this video are clearly not genuine supplies belonging to or distributed by the Bucks County Board of Elections.”
Only a hoax guys pic.twitter.com/TcGNnn9vUS— TaraBull (@TaraBull808) October 24, 2024
The Bucks County Republican Committee acted rapidly, investigating the video and cooperating with the Trump marketing campaign’s authorized crew. In an announcement, the committee debunked the clip, pointing to inconsistencies within the footage.
The video, they said, confirmed ballots with the incorrect envelope shade, incorrect paper high quality, and lacked important particulars like a return deal with.
Learn the total assertion:
“Now we have seen the video circulating on the web displaying somebody, allegedly in Bucks County, ripping up ballots with votes for President Donald Trump. We instantly labored with our attorneys, in addition to attorneys with the Trump marketing campaign to research this. The Bucks County Board of Elections has confirmed that the actions seen on this video didn’t happen.
The video is pretend, with issues resembling the colour of the envelopes being the incorrect shade of inexperienced, the paper just isn’t the identical high quality utilized by the Bucks County Board of Elections, the envelopes lack a return deal with, and no worker at Bucks County Board of Election meets the outline of the particular person within the video. Moreover, no mail-in or absentee ballots have been or will probably be opened and counted till election day on November fifth.
To us, that is disinformation, aimed toward scaring voters and dissuading them from utilizing mail-in ballots or on-demand voting that makes use of the identical mail-in poll course of. Now we have seen soiled underhanded techniques this yr, from the defacing of indicators, letters threatening Trump supporters, and now this video making an attempt to scare Bucks County voters.
The employees on the Board of Elections assist a whole bunch of voters day by day, and are working tirelessly to course of all functions they’ve obtained. Our County Get together Chair and workers all voted by mail as a result of we’re certain that our system in Bucks County works and is protected.
We are going to stay vigilant. We are going to proceed to work to assist voters and make sure that each vote is correctly counted.
Please don’t let their scare techniques work… please proceed to solid your ballots, and let’s win!”
Now we have seen the video circulating on the web displaying somebody, allegedly in Bucks County, ripping up ballots with votes for President Donald Trump. We instantly labored with our attorneys, in addition to attorneys with the Trump marketing campaign to research this. The Bucks County…
— Bucks GOP (@BucksGOP) October 24, 2024
The official poll is on the precise: pic.twitter.com/hnsLs7KqU9
— ThePersistence (@ScottPresler) October 24, 2024
Nonetheless, simply as native authorities in Pennsylvania and Republicans have been clearing the air, federal companies just like the FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Safety Company (CISA) jumped in with their very own take, declaring that Russian operatives have been seemingly behind the video.
In accordance with a joint statement by the Workplace of the Director of Nationwide Intelligence (ODNI), the FBI, and CISA, Russian brokers manufactured and amplified the clip as a part of a broader disinformation marketing campaign to sow doubt about election integrity.
“Right this moment, the Workplace of the Director of Nationwide Intelligence (ODNI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Safety Company (CISA) launched the next assertion:
“The IC assesses that Russian actors manufactured and amplified a latest video that falsely depicted a person ripping up ballots in Pennsylvania, judging from info obtainable to the IC and prior actions of different Russian affect actors, together with movies and different disinformation actions. Native election officers have already debunked the video’s content material.
This Russian exercise is a part of Moscow’s broader effort to lift unfounded questions in regards to the integrity of the US election and stoke divisions amongst Individuals, as detailed in prior ODNI election updates. Within the lead as much as election day and within the weeks and months after, the IC expects Russia to create and launch extra media content material that seeks to undermine belief within the integrity of the election and divide Individuals.”
