Capitol Rioter Removed As Doylestown Borough Committee Woman

DOYLESTOWN, PA — Doylestown Borough resident Dawn Bancroft, who was sentenced to 60 days in prison for entering the U.S. Capitol during the January 6, 2021 riot, has been removed as an elected Republican committee woman.

On September 8 following the procedures as outlined in the Bylaws of the Bucks County Republican Committee, the Executive Committee voted to remove Bancroft from her role as Republican Committeewoman in Doylestown Borough 2-2.

“Like all Americans, we deeply value the freedom to peacefully assemble and express our political opinion,” said Chair Pat Poprik. “However, the actions taken on January 6, 2021 by Ms. Bancroft, including breaking into the Capitol, go well beyond peaceful assembly. Her conviction and sentencing for these federal crimes is a clear violation of our standard of ethics, and this type of behavior has no place in our Republican Committee. During her own sentencing hearing, Ms. Bancroft described her remarks made that day as ‘inappropriate, childish, and foolish.’ Our Executive Committee agreed, and have taken the appropriate action to remove her from her role as Committeewoman. This is not an action that was taken lightly, but was clearly necessary given the circumstances.”

The vote by the Executive Committee, which is made up of more than 100 representatives from across Bucks County, comes after a formal hearing by the Party’s Ethics Committee, during which Ms. Bancroft had an opportunity to share testimony.

The removal was deemed effective immediately following the vote.

Bancroft, who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge after entering the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, won the Republican primary in Doylestown Borough beating Danielle Labrake in the race for borough committeewoman, second district.

Bancroft pleaded guilty last year to federal misdemeanor charges after she entered the U.S. Capitol during the Capitol riot. Bancroft told the FBI last year that she entered the U.S. Capitol during the riot through a broken window and estimated she was inside the building for about 30 seconds.

She admitted to a class B misdemeanor, which covers parading, demonstrating and picketing inside any of the Capitol buildings.

Bancroft also encouraged violence against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a video that she sent to to a friend after the riot, according to federal prosecutors. The friend forwarded the video
to the FBI, records show.

Bancroft told a federal judge last fall that her remark toward Pelosi was a "stupid, juvenile comment" and that she did not mean to threaten the longtime Democratic leader, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Federal prosecutors said they did not pursue more-serious charges because the video Bancroft filmed showed she was leaving the Capitol as she made the threat, the Inquirer reported at the time.

"Ms. Bancroft’s comments were not made directly to the Speaker, nor was she in the vicinity of the Speaker," her lawyer, Carina Laguzzi, wrote in a February filing. "She was not speaking to a group. Bancroft is seen, and heard, laughing in the video — with not even the slightest hint of
anger in her voice and demeanor. It was not made on a public forum, and the intention was to share it with just one person."