DV Journal

Noting the Biden Justice Department had taken “unprecedented action” in its raid on Mar-a-Lago, former FBI agent and current Bucks County Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick urged citizens and his congressional colleagues to “weigh the weight of their words.”

In an appearance on CBS’s “Face the Nation” Sunday, Fitzpatrick said he has been contacted by the FBI and warned that “my life has been put in danger recently” in the backlash to the DOJ’s seizure of documents from the home of former President Donald Trump.

“It was an unprecedented action which needs to be supported by unprecedented justification…this has never happened before in our county’s history,” said Fitzpatrick. “Was there unprecedented justification? That remains an open question, and we know exactly where to look and that was the affidavit of probable cause and that document remains under seal.

“Because we don’t have that information I encourage all my colleagues on the left and the right to reserve judgment and not get ahead of themselves because we do not know what that document may contain. It’s going to answer a lot of questions,” he said.

The Bucks County Republican urged calm, telling host Margaret Brennan he is concerned about threats of violence to his former colleagues after the names of the FBI agents who searched former Trump’s Florida home were revealed.

“Everybody needs to call for calm across the board. And everybody needs to respect our law enforcement whether it be local, state or federal,” said Fitzpatrick. “I’m very concerned for the safety of our law enforcement officers.”

“I myself have been notified by the bureau that my life was put in danger recently by some of these same people, and violence is never the answer to anything,” he said.

Asked about the rhetoric of some Republicans in the wake of the DOJ’s actions, Fitzpatrick said the problem is bipartisan.

“It’s all my colleagues, and we’ve seen disrespect across the political spectrum, which I’ve mentioned with local law enforcement, the Supreme Court, and federal law enforcement. None of it is okay. None of it,” he said.

Fitzpatrick mentioned the 2017 attack on the Republican Congress members at a baseball practice by a Bernie Sanders supporter, the recent threats to U.S. Supreme Court members after Roe v. Wade was overturned, as well as threats to law enforcement during the riots of 2020.

Fitzpatrick has been offering measured responses to the Mar-a-Lago raid since the news first broke. “As the only FBI agent in Congress, I’ve been getting many inquiries regarding tonight’s reported enforcement action at Mar-a-Lago,” Fitzpatrick said in a statement last Monday. “I will get to the bottom of this, will follow the facts wherever they lead and will report with unimpeachable integrity. I will get to the truth.”

His Democratic opponent, government and public service sector consultant Ashley Ehasz, says that is not enough.

“So now, all of a sudden, he wants to ‘get to the truth,’ after he voted against the Jan. 6th Committee and voted against impeaching Trump twice? As a combat veteran, I was deeply disturbed by Trump’s narrative that the election was ‘stolen,’ but this former FBI agent helped cast doubt on the election results by sending a letter to the Governor alleging election fraud when it was clear the results were sound,” Ehasz said.

Asked by CBS’s Brennan about the receipt showing Trump had classified and top secret and above in boxes in his home, Fitzpatrick said, “Nobody is claiming, certainly I’m not, that it’s okay to have classified information outside of a SCIF (Secure Compartmented Information Facility). I know that better than anybody, given my former profession and current committee assignment.

“But the problem is the administration is disputing a lot of what’s being publicly reported, so the affidavit will answer that question. It will be able to tell us who is providing this information. Is it the prior administration or the current administration? We need to get that clarified.”

Brennan asked whether it would be appropriate to release it now, during an active investigation.

“I would say at the very least, Margaret, for the public consumption, they can certainly bring it into the SCIF to bring it to our house intelligence committee members,” he said. “We, after all, do have oversight over the entire intelligence apparatus. So that’s what’s puzzling to us.”

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Just four days before the primary, President Donald Trump announced his pick for Pennsylvania governor: Sen. Doug Mastriano.

Mastriano (R-Franklin) is already ahead by 10 points in the latest Trafalgar Group poll from last Monday.

“There is no one in Pennsylvania who has done more, or fought harder, for Election Integrity than State Senator Doug Mastriano,” Trump wrote. “He has revealed the Deceit, Corruption, and outright Theft of the 2020 Presidential Election, and will do something about it.”

“I’m honored to receive the endorsement from President Trump, today,” Mastriano said. “But the honor is not for me. It’s for the millions of hard-working Pennsylvanians who want their individual liberties restored, power returned to the people, and for their elected leaders to fulfill the America First — and Pennsylvania First — agenda.

“Our grassroots supporters across Pennsylvania know that Donald Trump and I will always have their backs. We are all committed to ending the era of party bosses, dark money interest groups, and flawed elections. It’s time for Pennsylvanians to unite, with the support of President Trump, and focus on defeating Josh Shapiro so we can revive our economy, achieve energy independence, lower taxes, restore law and order, and reform our failing education system,” Mastriano said.

Mastriano, 58, a conservative firebrand who served for 30 years in the Army and retired as a colonel, also holds a doctorate history and four master’s degrees.

In recent days, the Republican Party establishment has put out the call to unite around former Congressman Lou Barletta, who is also running for governor.  State Sen. Jake Corman dropped out of the race and endorsed Barletta on Thursday, as did former Gov. Mark Schweiker and former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum.

Barletta issued this statement after Trump endorsed Mastriano:  “Throughout this campaign I have proved that I’m the best Republican to unite the Republican Party and defeat Josh Shapiro, and I will continue unifying our grassroots conservatives towards our shared goal. I will continue making the case to the people that I am the only candidate who can unite the party and bring victory in November. I look forward to having President Trump’s endorsement Wednesday morning.”

In the same vein, a spokeswoman for GOP gubernatorial candidate Bill McSwain, said, “Bill McSwain is a conservative outsider and U.S. Marine with a lifelong history of public service. He is the only candidate who can beat Josh Shapiro, and the clear choice for voters who want to see a Republican victory in November.”

McSwain, a former U.S. Attorney, received a stinging un-endorsement from Trump a few weeks ago over his lack of investigation into irregularities that Trump believes cost him the 2020 election. McSwain blamed his boss, U.S. Attorney Bill Barr. However, in his capacity as a state senator, Mastriano has called for a Pennsylvania audit and traveled to Arizona to observe what officials did there.

Party regulars fear that Mastriano will not be able to win in the fall against Democrat Josh Shapiro, and indeed, the Shapiro campaign has been running commercials touting Mastriano.

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Former President Donald Trump gave his endorsement to Dr. Mehmet Oz in the Pennsylvania Senate race on Saturday. Oz is one of several candidates running in the Republican primary. The campaigns and supporting political action committees are flooding the state with television, radio and internet ads.

Meanwhile, an EagleView survey came out of the field Saturday afternoon, just hours before Trump endorsed Oz.

That survey of 502 likely Republican primary voters showed Dave McCormick in the lead, with 18.1 percent, followed by Oz at 11 percent. Carla Sands came in at third with 9.2 percent, with Kathy Barnette was fourth at 8.8 percent.

Jeff Bartos finished with 5.8 percent and Sean Gale and George Bochetto were both below 1.5 percent, rounding out the seven-person field. But the poll showed that more than 45 percent of Republicans remain undecided in the race.

“Our GOP poll can serve as a benchmark in the Senate primary, coming as it did just prior to Trump’s endorsement of Dr. Oz,” said Christopher Nicholas, veteran Republican political consultant and president of Eagle Consulting Group. “Despite Oz’s big endorsement, this Senate race still seems like it’s only in the 4th or 5th inning, though it could cause GOP voters to give Oz another look.”

However, many Delaware Valley Republicans had expressed discontent with Trump before the 2020 election and voted for President Joe Biden. Do they agree with Trump’s endorsement now?

The opinions of area Republicans who spoke to the Delaware Valley Journal were mixed, although those who were already leaning toward Oz’s main opponent, former hedge fund CEO David McCormick, were not swayed to support the celebrity doctor.

“I still see McCormick winning,” said Radnor resident Austin Hepburn. “Trump can’t make Oz electable. The endorsement is almost at cross purposes. The people who like Oz are not necessarily Trump’s base. The people who are loyal to Trump understand he has his faults, particularly when it comes to making judgments about people.”

Fred Dascenzo of Newtown agreed with Hepburn.

“I think it’s a mistake,” said Dascenzo. “I don’t believe Dr. Oz is a real conservative. I think, actually, Dave McCormick is a better fit and would have better synergy.”

“The Donald errs when he bases advice on Nielsen ratings instead of constitutional conservatism,” said Philadelphia oncologist Dr. Robert Sklaroff. “The flip-flop on whether Oz would relinquish Turkish citizenship reflects a desperate effort to achieve historical revisionism. Recalling Trump’s premature endorsement of Sean Parnell, it’s hoped the third time will be the charm.”

But Republicans in Oz’s camp see this as a feather in his cap and another reason to back him.

“I went to see Dr. Oz and I liked him. I support Trump and I believe if he believes in Dr. Oz there’s a reason,” said D. J. McGinley, a Skippack resident. Oz is “pro-life, pro-gun and Second Amendment, against the vaccine mandate. I do believe Dr. Oz believes in the American people in the health of everyone. He has been talking about this even before he thought he had to get involved in politics. It’s time for a change. We need to talk about getting healthy and fit as being Americans. And stop the endorsement enforcing people to get vaccinated. Trump deserves his rightful position. I support him. I know there’s controversy with Dr. Oz. However, he’s a heart doctor and if it takes a doctor to stop the madness, I will endorse him. He’s putting his own job on the line.”

Maryann Brown of Warminster agreed.

“I agree with Trump,” she said. “Dr. Oz is smart and tough and he will not let us down! The TV ads for Oz make him the one for the job! My friends and I all voted for Trump and we will vote for Oz. Dr. Oz has a house in Bucks County and he is local.”

Elliott Tessler, a Philadelphia resident, said Trump’s endorsement will help Oz, although he is among the large contingent of undecided voters at the moment.

“The people he’s endorsed have had success,” said Tessler. “Oz was very supportive of Trump. Pennsylvania is ready for change. I’m looking forward to Republican success at the end of the year.”

Wayne resident Leslie Morgan was surprised by Trump’s move.

But, she said Pennsylvania Republicans are “lucky we have such a deep bench” and several “great candidates.” She likes both Oz and McCormick, as well as Montgomery county developer Jeff Bartos, and former ambassador Carla Sands.

“We have a great chance to win the Senate race,” said Morgan. “Dr. Oz is a very telegenic guy. He puts you at ease. I love the idea of a nonpolitician and a doctor who is a solutions-driven candidate.”

She believes bread and butter issues will carry the day with voters.

“People should ask themselves, are they better off today than under the prior administration,” said Morgan. “When we look at our household incomes, we’re paying more for gas and food. Which side of the table do you want to be on? Those that want to create energy independence and increases or those that want more regulation and reliance of foreign oil? Low-interest rates and oil are the mother’s milk of the economy. And Pennsylvania is losing jobs and young workers. We’re the third oldest (in demographics) state.”

“We need leadership and real solutions,” Morgan said.

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The Democrat-controlled congressional committee investigating the January 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol has subpoenaed a Pennsylvania state senator to testify.

Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-Franklin), who is running for governor, attended the rally for former President Donald Trump, but he did not participate in the riot or enter the Capitol building.

“Based on publicly available information and information produced to the Select Committee, we believe that you have documents and information that are relevant to the Select Committee’s investigation. For example, we understand that you have knowledge of and participated in a plan to arrange for an alternate slate of electors to be presented to the President of the Senate on January 6, 2021, and we understand that you spoke with former President Trump about your post-election activities,” the letter to Mastriano from committee Chairman Rep. Bernie G. Thompson (D-Miss.) said.

”Based on your public statements, we understand that you were present during the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, and that you witnessed ‘agitators…getting in the face of the police’ and ‘agitators…start pushing the police up the [Capitol] steps,'” the letter said.

The subpoena is unlikely to hurt Mastriano’s chances in the GOP primary, political observers agree. But it could prove a liability in the general election if he were to be the Republican nominee. A recent poll of primary voters showed Mastriano within 4 points of frontrunner Lou Barletta, a former congressman.

“I think it is too soon to tell whether this is going to become an issue for the Mastriano campaign,” said Berwood Yost, director of the Floyd Institute for Public Policy at Franklin & Marshall College. “I think it could help him with his core supporters generally and with those in the Republican Party who align with former President Trump if he chooses to defy the subpoena, which could be a benefit in the primary campaign. Complying with the subpoena could hurt him with those same voters. However this works out for the primary, I could see this as being harmful to a general election race.”

Mastriano was first elected to the state Senate in May 2019.

Mastriano could not immediately be reached for comment regarding the committee’s demand that he testify.

He is on record questioning the integrity of 2020 election. Mastriano also traveled to Arizona to observe the forensic audit there, before calling for a similar audit to be performed in Pennsylvania.

However, after running afoul of the Senate leadership, Mastriano was stripped of the job of overseeing the audit, replaced by Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee Chairman Sen. Chris Dush (R-Jefferson). Mastriano has continued to push for election integrity in the commonwealth, including his opposition to changes made to Act 77, which allows no-excuse mail-in ballots.

The audit remains tied up in court because of a lawsuit brought by Attorney General Josh Shapiro. Shapiro, a Democrat, is also running for governor.

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