When the U.S. Department of Homeland Security publicized the arrest of a Nigerian man for indecent exposure this week, it included a political attack that’s drawing complaints from Democrats and a nonpartisan government watchdog.
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that → publicize → Democrats
The department’s press release alleges that the man worked for a Democratic congressional candidate in a Pennsylvania battleground district, an unusual reference to a high-profile midterm contest.
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man → allege → contest
“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,” Charles Wall, deputy director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said in the press release.
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Wall → ’ → release
A police report said the man had fliers for Stelson in his vehicle.
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man → say → vehicle
Stelson’s campaign denied that the man was an employee, and campaign finance reports don’t show any payments to him.
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reports → deny → him
The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to questions about how it established the man worked for Stelson.
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man → respond → Stelson
Its press release cited a news report quoting a conservative activist who asserted the connection.
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who → cite → connection
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington filed a complaint Thursday with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, calling the department’s attack on Stelson a blatant violation of the Hatch Act, which prohibits government officials from using their official positions to influence elections.
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which → file → elections
Donald Sherman, who leads CREW, said he’d never seen anything like the department’s statement, where a law enforcement agency “goes out of its way” to reference a campaign affiliation in a press release that has nothing to do with election-related crimes.
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that → lead → crimes
The press release is “consistent with the message that the administration and that the president has sent from the top that ICE is to be involved in elections, regardless of what the law says,” Sherman said.
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Sherman → send → what
Stelson, a former local television personality, is running for the second time against Republican Rep. Scott Perry in Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District.
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Stelson → run → District
It’s expected to be one of the races that determines control of the U.S. House in the November midterms.
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that → expect → midterms
“If he is an illegal immigrant who committed a crime he should be deported,” Stelson’s campaign said.
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campaign → commit → crime
“We never heard of him prior to the news of his arrest.
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We → hear → arrest
We are grateful to law enforcement for acting swiftly to arrest him.”
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We → act → him
President Donald Trump’s administration is already under scrutiny for using federal resources for political purposes.
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administration → use → purposes
The Department of Homeland Security has spent millions of taxpayer dollars on advertisements glorifying Trump and promoting his campaign messaging, drawing a pair of lawsuits and bipartisan backlash.
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Department → spend → lawsuits
According to a police report obtained by The Associated Press, Chimaobim Adedayo Igbojekwe was arrested by an East Pennsboro Township police officer on Sept. 27 after a report of a suspicious vehicle parked next to a public park on a residential street in the Harrisburg suburb.
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Igbojekwe → accord → suburb
The officer wrote that, when Igbojekwe opened the door to talk to the officer, he noticed that Igbojekwe’s “genitals were exposed.”
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genitals → write → officer
Igbojekwe told the officer he was “in the neighborhood for work and that he was waiting to hand out flyers for Janelle Stelson’s political campaign,” according to the report.
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he → tell → report
Igbojekwe produced a stack of flyers, the officer wrote.
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officer → produce → flyers
It’s not clear whether the man was working as a paid canvasser for another organization.
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man → ’ → organization
Igbojekwe was charged with disorderly conduct and indecent exposure.
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Igbojekwe → charge → conduct
He pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct, court records say, and was later arrested by ICE.
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records → plead → ICE
Homeland Security said Igbojekwe entered the country legally in 2017 but remained past his “authorized period.”
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Igbojekwe → say → period
He was granted deferred action by President Joe Biden’s administration in 2021.
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He → grant → 2021
Igbojekwe’s public defender did not return a call about the case.
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defender → return → case
The Aporia
