Christian nationalists are encouraging their followers to volunteer at polling sites

Plus, listen to a leaked exchange between Ginni Thomas and a far-right legal organization. 

A conservative religious group called Lion of Judah is attempting to organize pro-Trump activists and Christians into “key positions of influence in government like Election Workers.” The organization was founded by Joshua Standifer, who claims to be a former Republican opposition researcher, in an effort to get Christians more involved in politics. Standifer said during a recent speech in Wisconsin that God had instructed him to create the group. 

“[God] said, ‘Start a group called the Lion of Judah. Start a 501(c)(4), get out there, and help my body come together as one,’” Standifer said.

The event was part of a broader MAGA caravan called the "Courage Tour" that has been traveling to swing states with Christian nationalist speakers and tent-revivalist preachers. Part of Standifer’s speech was reposted by Right Wing Watch in July. 

The Lion of Judah website contains instructive content such as “Fight The Fraud: How To Become An Election Worker In 4 Easy Steps!” which if implemented on a large scale could allow for a scenario that Standifer laid out in his speech.

“Just imagine: it’s election night. Chaos is happening. The polls are closing … Volunteers are getting kicked out,” said Standifer. “But what if we had Christians across America, in swing states like Wisconsin, that were actually the ones counting the votes?”

Such strategies are part of a broader Republican strategy to allow for intense scrutiny of polling places, which seem designed to sow doubt on the outcome of the election should it swing towards Vice President Kamala Harris. 

This past June, the Republican National Committee — led by former President Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law, Laura Trump — announced it would be attempting to mobilize 100,000 volunteers to become so-called “election integrity watchdogs.” The goal of such efforts would be to prevent “Democrat attempts to circumvent the rules.”  

Reporting by ProPublica and the independent newsroom Documented revealed communications between Ginni Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, and First Liberty Institute, which purports to be “the largest legal organization in the nation dedicated exclusively to defending religious liberty for all Americans.” The organization has provided legal support to a variety of conservative cases, from Navy SEALs attempting to avoid vaccination requirements to an Oregon bakery that refused to make a cake for a same-sex couple. 

In audio from a private call acquired by ProPublica, Kelly Shackelford, who captains First Liberty Institute and its yearly budget of $25 million, read out loud an email from Mrs. Thomas thanking the institute for fighting against reforms and new ethics codes proposed by the Biden administration. 

“YOU GUYS HAVE FILLED THE SAILS OF MANY JUDGES. CAN I JUST TELL YOU, THANK YOU SO, SO, SO MUCH,” Thomas reportedly wrote in all caps. 

Shackleford pointed to her comment as a sign that conservative judges, who must feign the appearance of nonpartisanship, were supportive of their project to fight court reforms. 

“These judges … can't go out into the political sphere and fight, and they know they're trying to protect the existence of the court,” Shackelford says. “It’s neat that, you know, those of you on the call are a part of protecting the future of our court, and they really appreciate it.”

Later in the meeting, Shackelford called Mr. Thomas’ fellow Justice Elena Kagan “treasonous” and “disloyal” for endorsing an enforcement mechanism for the new ethics code — one which came to light after it was revealed that Thomas had received a wide variety of luxury trips and items from ultra-wealthy conservative donors. Shackelford said that such codes would “destroy the independence of the judiciary.” 

In response to the reporting, First Liberty Institute released a statement saying that it is “extremely alarmed at the Leftist attacks on our democracy and judicial independence and is fighting to bring attention to this dangerous threat. It’s shameful that the political Left seems perfectly fine destroying democracy to achieve the court decisions they favor instead of working through democratic and constitutional means.”

Unearthed audio shows Tim Sheehy calling abortion ‘sinful,’ wanting it to ‘end tomorrow’

By Austin Linfante

Montana Republican Senate nominee Tim Sheehy told Republican activists last December he wished for abortion to “end tomorrow” as he called it “sinful” and “a repulsive thing to do,” according to newly unearthed audio.

In an audio clip provided to Heartland Signal, Sheehy expressed his staunch opposition to abortion to attendees at the Flathead County Republican Women’s open house in Kalispell, Mont. on Dec. 18, 2023. He was criticizing the state of California being pro-abortion when he made the specific comments.

“I find abortion to be a terrible, terrible thing. I want it all to end tomorrow,” Sheehy says in the clip. “You know, if California says, you know, ‘We’re going to fund abortions with California tax dollars all day long,’ I think it’s terrible and disgusting. But you know what? If that’s what the California voters want to do with their state? Okay.”

“You know, I think it’s sinful. I think it’s terrible. I think it’s a repulsive thing to do. But, you know, that’s what California decided to do.”

The comments are some of the most extreme he’s made on the campaign trail. During a debate in June, he called it “common sense” to oppose “elective abortions, paid for by the taxpayer up until the moment of birth” (late-term abortions are very rare and almost exclusively reserved for preserving the life and/or health of the mother.) He also endorsed exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother, and he pledges on his website to fight against proposed in-vitro fertilization (IVF) restrictions. Sheehy also accepted an endorsement from Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, one of the largest anti-abortion groups in the country.

Sen. Jon Tester (D), Sheehy’s opponent in the race, endorses the Women’s Health Protection Act, a bill to prevent pre-viability abortion bans nationwide — which was common law in the U.S. up until the 2022 Dobbs Supreme Court decision. Responding to Sheehy’s comments, Tester posted on X Friday that “it’s not up to him” on when abortions end and that voters will send that message when casting their ballots.

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte (R) signed a 15-week abortion ban into state law last year. Along with Sheehy’s campaign to unseat Sen. Jon Tester (D), Montana voters will also vote on an abortion rights constitutional amendment this November to possibly overturn the ban.