NEUTRAL?

Nevada Bishop Defends Evidence-Free Claims of Widespread Voter Fraud

The state’s Democratic Party chair said his remarks were “shameful.”

A Catholic bishop in Nevada stoked fear in his congregation of 500 over evidence-free claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election, asserting they needed to be “thoroughly investigated” for purposes of “safeguarding the integrity of the electoral process in this country.” Though President Donald Trump’s campaign has repeatedly made baseless allegations that the presidential election was “stolen,” state election officials across the country, including in Nevada, have debunked them, and no proof of widespread voter fraud has surfaced. Rev. Joseph Hanefeldt, head of the Grand Island diocese, wrote, “While Joe Biden is being congratulated as the 46th President of the United States, there are numerous reports of election irregularities and voter fraud. In various places, individuals have come forward to report violations of one kind or another.” His remarks drew the ire of the state’s Democratic Party chair, Jane Kleeb. “This is shameful coming from the Grand Island Diocese,” she tweeted. Hanefeldt said his claims were “neutral.”