Rockland GOP Fundraiser To Feature Rep. Stefanik

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — The Rockland Republican Committee will host a virtual fundraiser Wednesday with featured guest N.Y. Rep. Elise Stefanik, who was in the House chamber of the Capitol Building when it was overrun by rioters calling for the presidential election to be overturned.

The invitation reads: "Join Rockland Republican Chairman Lawrence Garvey and Director of Finance Jon Turco, Rockland County Executive Ed Day, NYS Assemblymen Karl Brabenec (Deputy Minority Whip), NYS Assemblymen Colin Schmitt and Michael Lawler, Town Supervisors George Hoehmann, Jim Monaghan and Teresa Kenny with Special Guest NYS Republican Chairman Nick Langworthy for a Virtual Fundraiser featuring Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY 21).

According to the invitation, Stefanik, 36, was going to be talking about the 117th United States Congress and the future of the national and state Republican parties. Now in her fourth term, she came to national prominence as a Trump ally, defending him during the impeachment hearings.

The fundraiser has now drawn attention due to the violence in Washington, D.C., when rioters rampaged through the Capitol building.

Stefanik was on the floor of the House chamber for Wednesday's debate, and discussed the experience in an interview with the Watertown Daily Times.

"It was very, very scary," she told reporter Alex Gault, describing being told to get down on the floor and grab a gas mask before being escorted into hiding. After that, what they experienced was different from what people could see watching TV, she said. "From my vantage point, there was a lot of confusion."

In her interview, Stefanik explained her decision to still object to the electoral results from Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.

On the floor of the House that night she had said, "Tens of millions of Americans are concerned that the 2020 election featured unconstitutional overreach by unelected state officials and judges ignoring state election laws. We can and we should peacefully and respectfully discuss these concerns."

She repeated talking points about alleged unconstitutional or illegal actions that have been reviewed and rejected by multiple courts and repeatedly refuted by Republican election officials.

The actions of Stefanik and her colleagues were directly tied to the violence, Rep. Conor Lamb of Pennsylvania argued on the floor of the House afterward. It "was inspired by lies — the same lies you’re hearing in this room tonight. And the members who are repeating those lies should be ashamed of themselves; their constituents should be ashamed of them."

On Friday, Rockland County Democrats called the upcoming fundraiser with Stefanik disgusting.

Patch reached out to the Rockland GOP committee for comment, but had not heard back by the time this article was published.

Also, Melissa DeRosa, one of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's top aides and a longtime friend of Stefanik's, weighed in on Twitter.