Pennsylvania USPS whistleblower Richard Hopkins — who said in a sworn affidavit that he overheard his supervisor discuss backdating ballots — is standing by his claims. This comes after a Washington Post article claimed that Hopkins had recanted his statement.
The Washington Post did not quote Hopkins in their story, only government officials. The article claimed that Hopkins “recanted” his earlier claims when questioned by investigators from the U.S. Postal Service’s Office of Inspector General on Monday. The article also cited a tweet from Democrats on the House Oversight Committee reading, “USPS whistleblower completely RECANTED his allegations of a supervisor tampering with mail-in ballots after being questioned by investigators, according to IG.”
Erie Postmaster Rob Weisenbach — the higher-up Hopkins accused of backdating ballots — has called the allegations “100% false.”
Following the release of the Washington Post article, James O’Keefe dropped a video in which Hopkins denies ever recanting his statement. “I am, right at this very moment, looking at an article written by Washington Post; says that I fabricated allegations of ballot tampering,” the whistleblower said in the video. “I’m here to say that I did not ‘recant’ my statement, that did not happen, that is not what happened.”
“And I would like (if) the Washington Post recant their wonderful little article,” he added.
O’Keefe then released another video in which Hopkins is questioned by federal postal investigators. “They were grilling the hell out of me,” Hopkins said to O’Keefe. “I feel like I just got played.”
In the video released by O’Keefe, USPS IG investigator Russell Strasser can be heard saying that he was “trying to twist you a little bit” in reference to Hopkins. “I am not scaring you, but I am scaring you,” Strasser can be heard saying in the recording.
Hopkins, a Marine Corps veteran, never wanted to come forward. He was outed as a matter of circumstance and has told O’Keefe that he is increasingly stressed over the pressure being put on him since coming forward.
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