On Wednesday, the Bucks County commissioners' meeting was packed with citizens who were fed up with Democratic officials' alleged attempts to count illegal ballots in the recount of the Senate race between incumbent Bob Casey (D) and Dave McCormick (R).
Residents showed up en masse to torch Diane Ellis-Marseglia (D), commissioners chair, after she made comments last week essentially admitting that she planned to count undated and misdated mail ballots in direct defiance of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's order.
'I have decided to file a criminal complaint against both of you.'
"People violate laws any time they want," Ellis-Marseglia stated. "So for me, if I violate this law it's because I want a court to pay attention. There's nothing more important than counting votes."
After the state's supreme court again ruled on Monday that such ballots cannot be counted, Ellis-Marseglia backtracked on her previous statement, claiming it was taken out of context.
She blamed a "misinterpretation of [an] inartfully worded statement on my part" and apologized to constituents for causing any "upset and confusion."
However, Ellis-Marseglia's brief apology was not enough for Bucks County residents, who showed up in droves on Wednesday to call her out for allegedly trying to break the law.
Before the public comment section began, Ellis-Marseglia offered another apology, at points seeming — or perhaps trying to seem — as though she was overcome with emotion and regret. Residents interrupted her with boos and jeers. At times, Ellis-Marseglia's attempt at a sincere tone appeared to briefly shift to frustration toward those in the crowd.
"Last Thursday, when I spoke at the meeting that you're all here about, the passion in my heart got the best of me, and I apologize again for that," she told residents.
Ellis-Marseglia claimed that many were unaware that she was referring to provisional ballots, not mail-in ballots.
"Even as I say this, I know it's confusing, and it's no surprise to me that these issues have gotten conflated," Ellis-Marseglia said.
"It was my poor choice of words," she admitted before immediately turning around and saying that her statement was "clipped."
"They were out of context," Ellis-Marseglia declared before shushing the crowd, who responded to her statement with sneers.
"I have literally been contacted by hundreds of people. And, I'm being honest with you, all of them involved horrible, horrible expletives," she claimed. "Many involved threats, not just on my life, but on the people who work in this county."
Ellis-Marseglia told residents that everybody says things "out of turn" and griped that she, as an elected official, is held to a "far higher standard than everybody else."
Someone in the crowd responded by calling on her to resign.
"When I inartfully spoke and used the word 'precedent' when I was talking about provisional ballots, I was referring to the United States Supreme Court and the precedent that has been lost on many issues, including Roe versus Wade," Ellis-Marseglia stated.
Many in the crowd scoffed. Ellis-Marseglia chuckled and smiled before pounding on her gavel to quiet the room.
She concluded her speech by stating she did not believe she could apologize anymore, adding that the meeting was her only opportunity to set the record straight.
The meeting then proceeded into public comments.
The first speaker revealed a bombshell announcement, stating that she planned to file a criminal complaint against Ellis-Marseglia and Vice Chair Robert Harvie Jr.
"Diane's actually right, though: The law doesn't matter anymore in this country because people like you violate it all the time, and all we the people do is sit here and complain," the resident said.
"I'm not going to take it anymore," she declared. "I have decided to file a criminal complaint against both of you for breaking the following laws: Title 25, Section 3050; Title 25, Section 3501; Title 25, Section 3510; Title 25, Section 3527, 52 U.S.C. 103.08."
Several residents who approached the mic on Wednesday accused Ellis-Marseglia of rolling her eyes during the public's comments.
One citizen stepped up to the lectern and told Ellis-Marseglia that she found it difficult to believe her apology based on her previous comments and actions.
"You called all of us here 'extremists,' 'MAGA extremists,' 'white Christian nationalists,' all kinds of horrible names. The rolling of the eye — that is the real you," she said.
Conservative activist Scott Presler also spoke at the meeting.
"I have a message: Peacefully, peacefully, we are coming for your seat in 2027 if you don't resign today," Presler said.
Ellis-Marseglia, who repeatedly stated throughout the meeting that she would not respond during the public comment section, replied to Presler, saying, "Have at it."
"I want you to know that I am going to spend all of my time in Bucks County for the next three years making sure we take back this county," Presler added.
Numerous attendees demanded the resignation of the commissioners, and several advocated for their criminal prosecution.
Ellis-Marseglia, Harvie, and Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.
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