By C. Perera, JadeTimes News
Project 2025, a conservative agenda crafted for a potential second Trump administration, proposes that the Justice Department should “investigate and prosecute” Pennsylvania’s top election official in relation to the 2020 election, signaling a significant shift in federal law enforcement priorities. This unprecedented move targets Pennsylvania’s Democratic election chief in a key swing state where Trump and his allies made vigorous efforts to contest Joe Biden’s victory in 2020 a state Trump must win in November to reclaim the presidency.
Although the policy document does not explicitly name its intended target, only one person held the position of secretary of the commonwealth in Pennsylvania during the 2020 election Kathy Boockvar. Boockvar, in an interview with USA TODAY, asserted that her department "absolutely" acted properly and accused the authors of Project 2025 of perpetuating disinformation and conspiracy theories in an effort to undermine American institutions.
Despite the backlash against many of Project 2025’s radical policy proposals including expanding executive power, stripping federal civil service protections, and combating what it terms "woke culture warriors" Trump has attempted to distance himself from the initiative. Most of the project’s contributors are former Trump administration officials or are otherwise connected to Trump.
Among its hard right recommendations, Project 2025 advocates reducing federal civil rights enforcement and shifting the Justice Department’s focus to investigating alleged state level voter registration fraud. The plan suggests that these changes would facilitate federal prosecution of Pennsylvania's top election official over guidance provided in 2020 regarding how voters could cast ballots after their mail in ballots were initially rejected.
Al Schmidt, Pennsylvania's current election chief, stated, "It is well past time to stop arguing over the audited, verified results of the 2020 election."
The Heritage Foundation, which spearheaded Project 2025, has not responded to requests for comment. The foundation's president, Kevin Roberts, described the policies in the 900 page document as "the best effort of the conservative movement" and potentially "the next conservative president’s last opportunity to save our republic." The Heritage Foundation has played a significant role in shaping the policies of Republican administrations dating back to Ronald Reagan in the 1980s. In 2018, the organization highlighted Trump's adoption of its previous policy blueprint, "Mandate for Leadership," a title also used for Project 2025.
Of the 38 individuals who contributed to the project, at least 31 are linked to Trump or his first administration, including Steven Groves, a former White House assistant special counsel, and Gene Hamilton, a former Justice Department official under Trump.
Democrats have strongly criticized Trump for the agenda, leading the former president to distance himself from it. This controversy resulted in the resignation of the project's director in July. Trump campaign senior advisor Danielle Alvarez dismissed Democratic criticisms as "lying and fear mongering," emphasizing that Trump's policies for a second term are solely outlined in his “20 promises to the forgotten men and women” and the RNC Platform.
