Rep. Zeldin to object to count of electoral votes

WASHINGTON – Rep. Lee Zeldin said Wednesday he will join other staunch supporters of President Donald Trump in objecting to the electoral slates of states that the Trump campaign challenged as fraudulent or illegal, despite repeatedly failing to prove those charges in court.

Zeldin, a Shirley Republican who has long touted his fealty to Trump, announced his decision to sign on to the objections on twitter shortly before Congress is scheduled to meet to certify states’ electoral votes that gave Joe Biden 306 votes Trump 232.

"To all my fellow Americans on the left, in the center & on the right, it’s time for us to have one big family talk in the Capitol & beyond. I just signed off on objections to make sure this conversation takes place TODAY. If not now, when? See you at 1PM➡️ live.house.gov," Zeldin tweeted.

"Americans deserve nothing less than full faith & confidence in our elections & a guarantee that their vote -- their voice -- counts & their concerns are heard. It's about our Constitution, our republic, our future & our fellow Americans. I'm speaking soon on the House floor!," he said on Twitter.

Zeldin, who had declined to reveal what he planned to do during the electoral college vote, joins Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-Schuylerville) as the only New York members of the U.S. House to object.

Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-Bay Shore) has not said whether he will file an objection as well.

Zeldin endorses claims of fraud and irregularities in voting procedures in the swing states that gave Biden the margin to win the presidential election – though the Trump campaign failed to persuade dozens of courts because of lack of evidence.

Zeldin also echoed Trump’s complaint that state legislatures have been deprived of their authority to set election rules.

"It's time for an all around honest conversation about what just took place," Zeldin said in a statement last Saturday.