WASHINGTON — Yesterday, videos surfaced showing Pennsylvania Republican Representative Aaron Bernstine (HD-10) encouraging a child to smoke a cigar and coaxing another young boy to play an inappropriate sexually themed game. The two-term incumbent deleted his Snapchat account after the videos were discovered but has resisted calls to resign and end his campaign for reelection.
Republicans must act to pressure Bernstine to resign and ensure that he does not return to the General Assembly. Their constituents deserve to know whether they condemn his conduct or whether they’ll be willing to overlook it for the sake of saving their fragile House majority.
“Representative Bernstine must resign immediately,” said Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee President Jessica Post. “These videos are absolutely repugnant and the conduct they depict is reprehensible. Pennsylvanians deserve better from their representatives. He has no place in the General Assembly. Every Republican in Pennsylvania must speak out and condemn this behavior. If something like these videos can’t inspire our elected officials to put partisanship aside, then what will?”
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