Delco GOP council team: Dems outsourcing work for phone polling
Labor Day is still a few weeks off, but the race for three seats on County Council is heating up before the traditional post-holiday mark.
According to Delaware County Republican Party Chairman Tom McGarrigle, Delco Democrats have hired a Philippine-based company identifying itself as a doctor’s office to ask misleading questions with false information about GOP County Council candidates.
Democrat officials said they wouldn’t respond to “Trump-style conspiracies.”
Republicans Jim Raith, Mike Morgan and Kelly Colvin and Democrats Christine Reuther, Elaine Schaefer and Dr. Monica Taylor are battling for three spots on Delaware County Council this fall. Council Chairman John McBlain and Vice Chairwoman Colleen Morrone are prohibited by term limits from running again and Councilman Mike Culp has decided not to seek reelection. All three are Republicans. Democrats won both open seats up for grabs in the last election.
McGarrigle said the county GOP learned of this through people who had received calls from pollsters identifying themselves as being in the Philippines.
“The foreign outfit making the ‘fake news’ calls was named ‘Dynata Global,’” he said. “The incoming number on the caller ID claimed to be a doctor’s office. Furthermore, the questions asked by ‘Dynata Global’ were premised on outrageous lies.”
Republican officials said one of the allegations Dynata Global made was that GOP candidate Jim Raith, also chairman of the Thornbury Township supervisors, raised township property taxes by 20 percent.
“This would be pretty hard considering the township doesn’t have a property tax,” McGarrigle said.
Another allegation made by the Democrats was that Republican candidate Kelly Colvin voted to divert public school funds to private and religious schools, according to Republican campaign spokesman Cody Bright. He added that Colvin never voted to divert funds from public schools.
McGarrigle said he had questions.
“How much did the Democrats pay for this misinformation campaign?” he asked. “How many voters received this ‘fake news’ poll? Who did they target with this ‘fake news’ and why did they target them? What role are foreign operatives playing in coordinating the Democrats’ campaign this year? What is the connection to the local Democrats and the Philippines?”
Delaware County Democratic county candidates campaign manager Trevor Maloney said there would be no response to this.
“Our candidates won’t respond to Trump-style conspiracies,” he said. “Democrats want a substantive debate about how to clean up government, cut waste and improve the quality of life for Delaware County families. That’s what voters deserve. There’s already too much divisiveness coming out of Trump’s Washington. We don’t need it here in Delco.”
McGarrigle voiced perspective.
“I was disheartened, but not surprised, to learn that a ‘fake news’ poll was conducted on behalf of Democrat county candidates in Delaware County last week,” McGarrigle said. “After staging a ‘Hate Hoax’ falsely accusing people of racism, the Democrats are now coordinating with foreign entities to win an election. You can’t make this stuff up.” another