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Controversial Stefanik rally canceled

WILTON — The Saratoga County GOP canceled a voter rally scheduled for Wednesday, which was to feature an appearance by anti-Muslim activist Scott Presler.

Saratoga County Republican Chairman Carl Zeilman said in a statement the event was canceled because a staffer with Rise PAC, one of the organizations hosting the event, tested positive for COVID-19.

Saratoga County Republicans, Rise PAC and U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, were scheduled to take part in the event at 5:30 p.m. at Gavin Park in Wilton, with Presler as the featured guest.

Presler, a GOP activist, served as a strategist for Act for America, an organization the Anti-Defamation League and Southern Poverty Law Center called the largest anti-Muslim hate group in the country.

Presler also helped organized multiple protests to challenge the legitimacy of the 2020 election, leading up to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, which he called the “largest civil rights protest in American history.” He also espoused QAnon conspiracy theories.

Zeilman said Republicans will meet to knock on doors and register voters as planned.

The Upstate Conservative Coalition on Tuesday announced that Presler would be speaking at an event at 7 p.m. Aug. 31 at the Wilton Elks Club.

Stefanik spokesman Alex DeGrasse claimed that Stefanik never said she was going to attend the Wilton rally — despite her social media posts promoting the event.

An Aug. 18 tweet from Stefanik said, “Amercian Patriot @ScottPresler will be joining #TeamElise & the @SaratogaGOP for a rally & voter registration drive!

“Thank you Scott for all of your hard work to #SaveAmericata @Risepacny “Everyone is excited to meet you! #NY21″‘ That tweet appears to have been removed from Stefanik’s Twitter feed.

The event was sponsored by Elise for Congress.

DeGrasse said the “Team Elise” mentioned in social media posts refers to her donors and supporters.

The announcement of the event at Gavin Park prompted a group called “No to Hate in Upstate, No to Fascist Attacks on Democracy” to schedule a counter-protest at the same time at 5:30 p.m. at Congress Park at 268 Broadway in Saratoga Springs.

Organizer Joe Seeman said the event is still scheduled.

Zeilman criticized that event as a “distraction” from the failures of Democratic policies.

“The local Democrat outrage to our grassroots voter registration drive is really about the National Democrat party imploding in front of our eyes and local Democrats looking for any other distraction to talk about other than their own failed policies that have brought our country into a crisis. They are threatened by Republicans’ historic support in upstate and all of America,” he said in the statement.

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