The Republican National Committee (RNC) has confirmed it will not be hiring conservative activist Scott Presler, just days after newly elected co-chair Lara Trump suggested he was being tapped to lead the party’s legal ballot harvesting operations ahead of the 2024 general election.
An RNC spokesperson confirmed to NBC News that Mr. Presler, despite being a “valuable voice to the RNC,” will not become a direct employee as he “remains focused on his nonprofit.”
Mr. Presler launched the Early Vote Action political action committee in January 2023 as part of efforts to organize and mobilize Republicans to vote early, particularly across key swing states including Arizona, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, according to its official website.
In a separate statement to the publication, Ms. Trump—who is the daughter-in-law of former President Donald Trump—touted Mr. Presler’s work with the Republican Party’s grassroots base.
“Scott Presler has shown what a single individual can accomplish when it comes to activating voters across the country,” she said. “I look forward to having his support as both of our organizations share the same goal of getting our friends and neighbors out to vote in this crucial election.”
The RNC’s decision not to hire Mr. Presler comes just days after Ms. Trump told conservative commentator Benny Johnson during an interview that the committee was interested in bringing him in as part of efforts to ensure election integrity in November.
RNC Taking ‘Serious’ Approach to Election Integrity
Speaking on “The Benny Show,” Ms. Trump—who was elected to become the RNC’s new co-chair on March 8—explained the RNC is taking a different and more “serious” approach to past practices in the upcoming election cycle, pointing to concerns regarding election integrity in the 2020 elections.
The RNC, Ms. Trump said, plans to utilize everything from early voting initiatives to an expanded legal team—made up of both hired legal experts and volunteers—to ensure any issues are promptly resolved in real-time.
Additionally, the RNC plans to establish an election integrity division within the committee, she said.
The committee has also filed 78 lawsuits in 23 states aimed at ensuring election integrity, according to Ms. Trump.
“But we also have to start thinking about legal ballot harvesting, something we have never embraced as a party,” Ms. Trump told the show. “We are going to start doing it now. I am going to have a call very soon with Scott Presler, who is an amazing voter registrar. He has registered so many people in this country. I think he is fantastic. I want him on our legal ballot harvesting division.”
Focus on Ballot Harvesting
“There will be no question on the night of November 5th that Donald Trump is elected as the 47th president,” Ms. Trump concluded.
Ballot harvesting, also known as “ballot collecting,” refers to the gathering of completed mail-in ballots by third-party individuals or organizations, who deliver them to polling stations or election offices on a voter’s behalf.
Responding to her comments, Mr. Presler wrote on the social media platform X: “Let [sic] show love by taking positive action.”
“Oh my gosh. We can do this. Let’s come together as a family & save the country we love,” he wrote. “Right now, we’re scheduling voter registration drives at gun shows, places of worship, rodeos, farmers markets, & other venues across the USA.”
Mr. Presler, who has repeatedly endorsed President Trump in the 2024 White House race, previously served as chairman of the “Gays for Trump” organization.
He has also led multiple voter registration efforts across various states and provided get-out-the-vote training sessions for conservative groups, according to NBC News.
His potential hiring by the RNC drew immediate criticism from the Democratic National Committee, which accused him of being an “election-denying conspiracy theorist,” in a statement.
“Once again, Donald Trump’s extreme MAGA makeover of the RNC is showing that democracy is on the line in this election as he and his allies elevate extremists who would rather defend Roy Moore and QAnon than our democracy,” DNC Rapid Response Director Alex Floyd said.
Caden Pearson contributed to this report.
From The Epoch Times
