Democracy Organization Slammed For Having Rep. Elise Stefanik, Who Disputed 2020 Election Results, On Its Board

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-New York) currently serves as a board member for the National Endowment for Democracy, an organization committed to promoting democratic values around the world.

Some fellow board members have expressed concern about her position on the board after the congresswoman has questioned the legitimacy of Joe Biden’s 2020 electoral victory.

Former House Majority Leader and former NED board member Dick Gephardt (D-Missouri) released a statement: “How is it consistent for someone like her to be on the board of NED given its mission for promoting democracy all over the world and in America with the view that she and many Republicans have for changing our election processes to make it harder for people to participate in our democracy?”

Max Boot, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, said, “It’s kind of like the Catholic Church appointing a self-described atheist as a cardinal. Elise Stefanik is part of the threat to American democracy. It’s a travesty that she’s on the board of an institution whose goal is to promote democracy.”

NED says the organization remains committed to bipartisan representation. “The Endowment is a congressionally funded and authorized organization and, as such, has relied on, and benefitted from broad bipartisan support,” NED chairman Kenneth Wollack said. “This support is even more remarkable given our country’s polarized political environment. We do not have litmus tests on views expressed by individual Board members.”

Stefanik’s spokesperson Ali Pardo said the congresswoman was “proud to have one of the strongest records in the House supporting and leading bipartisan efforts to fund the National Endowment of Democracy and the mission of supporting and strengthening democratic institutions around the world. Congresswoman Stefanik is one of the most prominent voices countering authoritarian regimes like Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea, especially through her work on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.”

Stefanik, who was elected to the board in 2019, has proved herself to be a Trump loyalist over the years. She defended him during his first impeachment trial and questioned the 2020 election results in Georgia, saying “140,000 votes came from underage, deceased, and otherwise unauthorized voters.”

She later added: “President-Elect Biden was certified, but that debate was important for the American people to hear.”

Article by Elizabeth Letsou