After a conservative activist’s social media submit urged that they had been as much as one thing, the Benedictine Sisters went public and ‘contested the falsehood immediately.’
By Carter Walker for Votebeat
Because the 2024 presidential election approached, tensions had been excessive, and activists had been, as soon as once more, attempting to find fraud.
Cliff Maloney, a Republican activist working to get GOP voters to return their mail ballots, stated on the social community X that considered one of his door-to-door canvassers had found an tackle in Erie, Pennsylvania, that had no residents however 53 voters registered to it.
“Turns out it’s the Benedictine Sisters of Erie and NO ONE lives there,” he wrote in a submit that went viral, including that he wouldn’t let “Dems count illegal votes.”
However that wasn’t true. And Maloney discovered himself being known as out by the nuns, who didn’t respect being accused of fraud.
“We do live at Mount Saint Benedict Monastery and a simple web search would alert him to our active presence in a number of ministries in Erie,” Sister Stephanie Schmidt, of the Benedictine Sisters of Erie, stated in a press release, calling Maloney’s submit “blatantly false.”
Now, the sisters are being honored with an award from the Nationwide Affiliation of Secretaries of State for his or her efforts to push again towards misinformation. The 2025 Margaret Chase Smith American Democracy Award honors recipients for “individual acts of political courage, uncommon character and selfless action in the realm of public service.”
Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt, who will not be associated to Sister Stephanie Schmidt, nominated the sisters.
“The Sisters thoughtfully confronted the baseless claims and used their time in the spotlight to warn the public that ‘a free republic depends … on a discerning and conscientious citizenry who do not unquestioningly accept the word of anyone who has a social media platform,’” Secretary Schmidt stated in a press release.
The award might be introduced on the 2026 NASS winter convention in Washington, D.C.
Associated | What to know concerning the push for open primaries in Pennsylvania
Votebeat and Highlight PA just lately spoke with Sister Linda Romey, director of communications for the monastery, about its response to the accusations and the teachings of the expertise.
Romey advised Votebeat and Highlight PA that along with the assertion it put out, the monastery invited Maloney to go to — an invite that also stands — however he has but to return.
This interview has been edited for brevity and readability:
How did you first change into conscious of Maloney’s submit? What was your response?
Pennsylvania was a battleground state, a really key battleground state within the election, and Erie County was key to Pennsylvania. So we knew that every part right here can be scrutinized, and along with simply eager to counter what was blatantly false, we wished to contest that. However we additionally knew that if Kamala (Harris) had been to win the election after which her victory be contested, we didn’t need to change into any a part of that saying, you recognize, right here’s 50 some false votes that the Democrats got here up with and since no person lives right here. We wished on report that we contested the falsehood instantly.
What sort of response did you get?
Overwhelming help, overwhelming. We don’t have an X account, so associates had been telling us how the numbers had been climbing on the views and the shares, or no matter they name them at X, however even on our social media pages, the help simply continued to develop, after which we began getting cellphone calls. We had greater than 25 media shops contact us over the course of a few weeks.
Secretary Schmidt known as and spoke with our prioress, Stephanie Schmidt, and supplied his help, as did our native election officers. We had been in contact with them, they usually did help us. Our native mayor is aware of us and helps us. And different native political figures had been behind us additionally. All of them know us, they usually know what we do within the metropolis of Erie, they usually spoke on our behalf. So sure, we had been very, very effectively supported.
What classes do you hope others will take away out of your expertise?
To face up for fact. To not again down … when you fall sufferer to this. However the different factor is, learn with aware discernment. All people wants to have a look at one thing and browse one thing after which do the required background work to know whether or not or not one thing must be believed. As a result of it appears to me that as quickly as one thing is out on social media, it’s taken for reality or for fact, and issues are very hardly ever simply that black and white. There’s all the time room for questions, for extra info.
