Luzerne County Election Board member’s actions debated

Speaking during last week’s Luzerne County Council meeting, Salem Township resident Claudia Glennan raised concerns about county Election Board member Alyssa Fusaro.

Fusaro immediately responded during the same meeting’s public comment period, and several county council members also jumped in to defend Fusaro.

Glennan had requested during the election board’s March 9 meeting that Fusaro resign as Regional Director of Eastern Pennsylvania for Teddy Daniels’ lieutenant governor campaign, saying it would avoid a conflict of interest now that Fusaro would be serving on the election board. Fusaro promptly approached the podium at that time to announce she already had submitted an immediate resignation from the campaign position, saying serving in both roles would create an ethical conflict.

Last week, Glennan told council Fusaro continued to post political advertisements for the campaigns of both Daniels and Doug Mastriano, a Republican candidate for governor, beginning as early as March 11. The posts have appeared on private and public Facebook pages, with Fusaro as administrator for the Grass Roots for Teddy Daniels for Lt. Governor page and the Butler County for Doug Mastriano page, Glennan said.

Glennan also complained that Fusaro posted public and private messages before a March 23 board meeting asking people to send emails to the election board opposing the use of drop boxes.

“These messages contained misinformation that drop boxes were illegal. The resulting ‘volume’ of emails were used to falsely claim that the majority of the public were against the use of drop boxes,” Glennan said, maintaining the action should be deemed a county ethics violation.

Glennan urged council to immediately remove Fusaro from the board.

“This council made a grave mistake in voting to seat such a radical person who believes, with no evidence, that the presidential election of 2020 was stolen and that our elections are critically flawed,” Glennan said. “It is essential to the democratic principles of our nation that these positions be objective appointments. Prove that you care about election integrity as fervently as you claim.”

Fusaro replies

In reply, Fusaro said she is an administrator on several social media pages because she created them, noting she performs work in public relations because she has a bachelor’s degree in communications.

Fusaro also said the position she gave up with the Daniels campaign was paid, not a volunteer role like the election board post.

“So therefore I did have an actual agenda when it came to that because that was to represent him,” Fusaro said of the campaign position, adding she also is permitted to have personal views.

Finally, Fusaro said bringing integrity back to the election process is her goal as an election board member.

She said the reality is many people have problems with the Dominion Voting Systems Inc. equipment used in the county and believe the 2020 election was stolen.

Fusaro said she has been discussing the intricacies of the county’s voting system at length with a Dominion representative to dispel “a lot of the conspiracy theories that are out there right now.”

“So I think it is improper for anybody to judge me based on who I’m voting for personally and judging me based on what you think I may stand for, especially if you don’t know me,” Fusaro said. “If you do know me you’d understand that right now I’m currently trying to work towards integrity and faith and bringing those things back.”

She stood by her repeated position that mail ballot drop boxes don’t have the level of security in place to make many confident about them.

Under the county’s home rule charter, council must appoint two Democrats and two Republicans to the election board. Those members then select a fifth person from any party or with no affiliation to serve as chair.

Board members defend Fusaro

Six county council members had supported Fusaro’s appointment, while five had voted to reappoint Richard Nardone.

Several defended her during the meeting.

Councilman Stephen J. Urban, who supported Fusaro’s appointment, said election board members can “post on Facebook all they want” and bring their issues to the public.

“Quite honestly, I believe Alyssa is doing a very good job,” Urban said.

Council Vice Chairman John Lombardo said he was the swing vote for Fusaro’s appointment and said she is allowed to have her opinions as a Republican.

“As long as she’s doing the job and putting in the work, I’m fine with that,” Lombardo said. “I have been very impressed with her as of late.”

Councilman Brian Thornton, also a supporter of Fusaro’s appointment, concurred with their comments, saying he applauds Fusaro for her work on the board to date.

“Just because someone on that board has politics that differ from yours doesn’t render that person unethical or distrustful. It doesn’t infringe on their integrity or anything like that,” Thornton said. “It goes for both sides of the aisle. Everyone’s entitled to have their opinions.”

Thornton said the election board must verify and certify election results and secure elections to make sure there is no fraud.

“It’s OK if they have their own political views, but they need to follow the law as the laws are written,” Thornton said. “So far I’ve seen nothing but good behavior by Ms. Fusaro.”

Democrats Danny Schramm, Audrey Serniak and Denise Williams also serve on the board, with Williams serving as chair.

Council must fill the second Republican seat because it was vacated by Patrick Castellani’s recent resignation.

Lombardo, who chairs council’s Authorities, Boards and Commissions Committee, said three or four citizens have applied for the Republican board seat.

In addition to any new applicants, two Republicans remain on council’s eligibility list for possible appointment to the board: Richard Nardone, of Slocum Township, and Candice Chilek, of West Pittston.

Applications are available in council’s authorities, boards and commissions section at luzernecounty.org.

Lombardo told his council colleagues his committee plans to publicly interview new applicants May 9, with a council appointment possible at its meeting the following evening.