Updated Oct 26 11:20 pm
The Russians did it, so says the FBI. The Russians are responsible for the creation and posting of the video showing a fake Bucks County elections worker shredding mail in ballot votes for former President Donald Trump.
In a statement released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), on Friday federal officials supported the findings of Bucks County election board.
“The IC assesses those Russian actors manufactured and amplified a recent video that falsely depicted an individual ripping up ballots in Pennsylvania, judging from information available to the IC and prior activities of other Russian influence actors, including videos and other disinformation activities. Local election officials have already debunked the video’s content,” the statement said.
The veracity of the election related video was debunked within the first there hours after it was posted.
This Russian activity is part of Moscow’s broader effort to raise unfounded questions about the integrity of the US election and stoke divisions among Americans, as detailed in prior ODNI election updates. In the lead up to election day and in the weeks and months after, the IC expects Russia to create and release additional media content that seeks to undermine trust in the integrity of the election and divide Americans.”
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Original Story
A video circulated on Meta and Tik Tok that purports to a Bucks County employee destroying mailed in ant signed voter ballots is a fake, said officials from the commissioner’s and district attorney’s office, seeking to create distrust and disrupt the election process.
That effort, however, failed in its attempt to disrupt but now has federal authorities seeking evidence.
“The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office and the Yardley Borough Police Department are aware of a video circulating on social media appearing to show the destruction of election ballots. Our investigation has concluded that this video was fabricated in an attempt to undermine confidence in the upcoming election” the DA’s office said.
Our office is in contact with the Federal Bureau of Investigation who will be attempting to locate the source of this manufactured video.
We want to thank the public and the county’s Board of Elections for bringing this to our attention. The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office will not tolerate any voter suppression, intimidation, or fraud, officials said.
Credit: Jeff Bohen
Election officials were aware of a video circulated this afternoon on social media purporting to show Bucks County mail-in ballots being opened and destroyed. This video is fake. The envelope and materials depicted in this video are clearly not authentic materials belonging to or distributed by the Bucks County Board of Elections, the county said.
The Board of Elections – Chair Bob Harvie, Vice Chair Diane Ellis-Marseglia and Gene DiGirolamo – have issued the following bipartisan statement:
“This type of behavior is meant to sow division and distrust in our election systems, and makes a mockery of the people working incredibly hard to ensure a free and fair election is carried out. The Board of Elections unequivocally condemns this purposeful spreading of dangerous disinformation. We will not be distracted from the job the voters of Bucks County have entrusted to us.”
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