Is Bucks County in the swing state of Pennsylvania a “target” of election misinformation?

A viral video that appears to cast doubt on Harris-Waltz’s Bucks County campaign is spreading on social media days after authorities called another video a hoax, prompting the county Democratic committee chairman to suggest Friday that this is not a coincidence.

“It seems very clear that Bucks County is a target,” state Sen. Steve Santarsiero, D-10th Lower Makefield, said Friday after the second video surfaced.

2 minute video as of Friday, there were more than 1.3 million views on X, formerly known as Twitter, and TikTok. He questions the location of what appears to be a Harris-Waltz campaign office near a proposed post office in Bucks County.

In a separate incident, a viral video was posted on social media on Thursday allegedly depicted someone destroying mail-in ballots, has been declared a hoax by local and federal authorities who are investigating its source.

A second campaign office video appears to be another hoax, according to Bucks County officials.

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The Harris-Waltz campaign has three offices in Bucks County, located in Doylestown, Bensalem and Newtown, and to Santarserio’s knowledge, none of them are located in shopping centers or locations similar to those shown in the video.

To his knowledge, the Harris-Waltz campaign also does not use paid canvassers, but relies on volunteers to knock on doors to get its message out, Santarsiero added.

A spokesman for the Pennsylvania campaign did not immediately respond Friday to an email or voicemail asking about the video and the location of its Bucks County offices.

A second video, also released Thursday, shows an unidentified man wearing a baseball cap with “USA” written on it outside an unidentified shopping center he claims is located in Bucks County.

The man claims to be outside the Harris-Walz office, located next to the U.S. Post Office, and comments on the location and appearance of the office, including a handwritten sign in the window that he says advertises a job for $25 an hour.

“Oh, that’s not at all doubtful. Kamala Harris rented space in Swing State Bucks, Pennsylvania. They closed and darkened all the windows and hired people for $25 an hour. Guess where this place is located right next door, adjacent to the building… Post office. He tried to ask what they were doing and they shouted at him: “Get out of here” – “There are two guys here. They won’t tell you what’s going on, but I asked them for a job. They told me no. Get out of here.” “They hide everything they do” judging by the post above the video on X.

The new video follows one that allegedly shows an unknown man opening a stack of Bucks County mail-in ballot envelopes, tearing up ballots for former President Donald Trump and returning ballots for Vice President Kamala Harris.

Federal officials told USA Today on Friday that Bucks Ballot Video May Be Part of Organized Russian Disinformation Campaign as part of a covert effort to help elect Trump.

Recent opinion polls show the presidential race as a draw. This makes Pennsylvania—and especially Bucks County, an affluent “purple” suburb near Philadelphia. critical area of oscillation in determining the result. Recently both campaigns have visited the district To attract voters.

Santarsiero said he agrees that the videos are an attempt to raise doubts about the security of the election.

“Whoever is behind this video and other videos is trying to sow doubt into our election process and ultimately the outcome of the election,” he said. “It’s dangerous. These people play by different rules. It’s obvious.”

On Friday, Bucks County Commissioner Bob Harvey, who also heads the Board of Elections, confirmed that the county is taking precautions to protect the integrity of the election.

“We conduct elections according to the letter of the law and will not be swayed, distracted or intimidated by deliberate attempts to undermine our residents’ right to vote,” Harvey said in a written statement. “The residents of Bucks County deserve an election in which they can have complete confidence, and that is exactly what we intend to give them.

Reporter Joe Ciavaglia can be reached at [email protected].