DHS Criticized for Statements Against Democratic Congressional Candidate Janelle Stelson

<p>The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is facing criticism for publicly addressing Democratic congressional candidate Janelle Stelson less than a month before the midterm election.</p><p><strong>Context:</strong> The Stelson campaign is considering legal action regarding the allegations made by DHS, while a watchdog group is calling for an investigation into whether an ICE official breached restrictions on partisan political activity by federal employees.</p><hr /><ul><li>Stelson campaign manager Alma Baker stated, "We are likely to take legal action to combat the blatant lies and coordinated misinformation campaign."</li><li>The campaign has sent cease and desist letters to several news outlets that reported DHS's claims as fact.</li><li>The race between Stelson and Republican Rep. Scott Perry in Pennsylvania's 10th district is noted as one of the most competitive and costly House elections, with over $26 million spent, according to AdImpact.</li></ul><p><strong>Details of the Incident:</strong> On Wednesday, DHS released a statement announcing the arrest of an individual described as an "illegal alien from Nigeria who exposed himself in public while working for a congressional campaign in Pennsylvania."</p><ul><li>The individual, Chimaobim Adedayo Igbojekwe, was arrested by ICE on October 1 after pleading guilty to disorderly conduct the previous month, according to the press release.</li><li>ICE Deputy Director Charles Wall commented, "It's unbelievable that Janelle Stelson would employ an illegal alien to work on a Congressional campaign, let alone a pervert who exposed himself in public."</li></ul><p>Stelson responded to the claim, stating, "He's not an employee. He's not a volunteer," during an event on Wednesday.</p><ul><li>According to disbursements tracked by the Federal Election Commission, nobody named Igbojekwe was compensated by the Stelson campaign as of September 30. The campaign also provided evidence showing no results for Igbojekwe in its volunteer database.</li><li>In its cease-and-desist letter, the campaign asserted that Igbojekwe has "never been employed by any vendors of the campaign."</li><li>DHS did not respond to multiple follow-up requests for comments regarding the Stelson campaign's legal threat.</li></ul><p><strong>Source of Claims:</strong> DHS referenced a New Jersey-based news outlet, Shore News Network, as its source for the assertion that Igbojekwe was a canvasser for Stelson. This outlet cited a social media post from conservative activist Scott Presler.</p><ul><li>Presler stated, "A canvasser for democrat Janelle Stelson ... was reportedly charged for indecent exposure," in a post that included a photo of a court document not mentioning the Stelson campaign.</li><li>Presler did not respond to a request for comment.</li></ul><p><strong>Affidavit Details:</strong> An affidavit obtained by Axios from East Pennsboro police officer Trevor Jeffers indicated that Igbojekwe was found in a parked car wearing only a shirt with his genitals exposed.</p><ul><li>Jeffers noted that Igbojekwe claimed he was in the area for work and was waiting to distribute flyers for Janelle Stelson's campaign, providing a stack of flyers as evidence.</li><li>The East Pennsboro Police did not comment and denied Axios' public records request for related documents.</li><li>Several news outlets that initially reported on the arrest or the DHS press release have since removed their stories. None responded to Axios' inquiries.</li><li>The Stelson campaign reiterated that Igbojekwe had "never been employed" by them and that they were unaware of him prior to his arrest.</li></ul><p><strong>Charges Against Igbojekwe:</strong> Igbojekwe was charged with indecent exposure and disorderly conduct, later pleading guilty to disorderly conduct, according to court records.</p><ul><li>The attorney listed for Igbojekwe did not respond to requests for comment.</li><li>Igbojekwe also did not reply to a request for comment sent to an email address associated with him.</li></ul><p><strong>Current Developments:</strong> The Office of Special Counsel is set to investigate whether Wall violated the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from engaging in political activities while on duty, following inquiries about his statements.</p><ul><li>Donald Sherman, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, stated that Wall's comments represent "gratuitous partisanship that constitutes prohibited political activity."</li><li>An OSC staff member confirmed they would open a file to address the matter.</li><li>Wall did not respond to a request for comment.</li></ul><p><strong>Expert Opinion:</strong> Deborah Fleischaker, a former acting ICE chief of staff, indicated that legal counsel would likely have advised against Wall's statements, noting that referencing an election in an official statement is generally discouraged.</p><ul><li>Fleischaker acknowledged that federal ethics rules have become less effective as deterrents.</li></ul><p><strong>Conclusion:</strong> The Cook Political Report rates the race between Stelson and Perry for the Harrisburg-based House seat as a toss-up.</p><ul><li>The Freedom Caucus Fund, a PAC focused on supporting House Freedom Caucus members, released a digital ad labeling Igbojekwe as a "Nigerian illegal alien campaigning for Democrat Janelle Stelson."</li></ul>