Dear Editor:

Republican State Rep. Kathy Rapp of Warren is on the wrong side of history, and more importantly on the wrong side of democracy in supporting ongoing “investigations” into Pennsylvania’s recent election.

In doing so, she and her extreme right-wing political colleagues – many of whom ironically won re-election in the very same election they are now questioning – are purposely sowing confusion, casting doubt on our institutions, and fostering the divisiveness that their cult leader, Donald Trump, has spent four years stoking for his own personal gain.

Here’s the fact as of Nov. 11: Our next president, Joe Biden, leads Pennsylvania by 50,481 votes! These are entirely legitimate votes, cast by Pennsylvania residents and overseen by honorable Pennsylvania election workers, whose honesty is being besmirched by politicians like Rapp and Trump, who lack an ounce of moral credibility between them.

Another fact: The number of credible examples of widespread voting fraud in Pennsylvania is a big fat zero.

Trump and his minions have spent every waking moment in recent months casting doubt on the election, working their cult followers into a preemptive frenzy, so that he could do this very thing if and when he lost the election. It would be comical that people are so easily manipulated, if it weren’t so serious.

And now, Rapp and her conspiracy theory nut-job buddies say they have to investigate because they’re getting “overwhelmed with calls, emails and other messages from constituents who are confused and outraged by the circumstances surrounding this election.”

Of course her constituents are confused and outraged! It’s exactly the state Trump and Rapp have purposely worked them into! So they create the confusion and outrage, then use that confusion and outrage as an excuse to try to subvert the will of Pennsylvania’s voters.

That’s how fascist countries operate, isn’t it?

Kathy Rapp will rightfully be remembered as a shill and mouthpiece for the worst president in history, a president who is personally culpable for the preventable deaths of more than 200,000 Americans. She is a disgrace to her office.

Steve Bishop,

Pittsfield