The $2 million grant awarded this week to help Allegheny County pay for rising election costs is a point of contention among some county council members and county employees. It all played out Thursday morning in a public spat on Twitter.
The incident began Wednesday evening. Councilwoman Bethany Hallam, a Democrat holding an at-large council seat, tweeted a screenshot of an email. It appeared to be from the Center for Tech and Civic Life announcing the award of a grant.
“Dear Bethany Hallam,” the text in the screenshot reads. “I’m pleased to share that Center for Tech and Civic Life has reviewed your covid-19 Response Grant application and has approved a grant award totaling $2,052,251.”
After getting dismissed at the last BoE meeting I went ahead and applied for this grant on my own ?? I just found out WE WON and Allegheny County will be receiving over $2million to fund our fall election from Center for Tech & Civic Life! Better elections @ NO cost to taxpayers! pic.twitter.com/TJxCoBthw1
— Bethany Hallam (@bethanyhallam) October 7, 2020
The grant applications were open to all local election jurisdictions across the country. The money is meant to help offset the cost of securing elections amid a global pandemic and the rise of mail-in ballots, according to the grant website.
In the text of Hallam’s tweet of the screenshot, she said that her idea to apply for the grant was “dismissed” at the county’s last Board of Elections meeting, so “I went ahead and applied for this grant on my own.”
On Thursday morning, county Communications Director Amie Downs sent a tweet. It was directed at a Pittsburgh news outlet. “Hey @KDKA. Ms. Hallam may be trying to take credit for it but had absolutely nothing to do with a grant applied for by the Elections Division manager and signed off on by the county manager.”
Hey, @KDKA. Ms. Hallam may be trying to take credit for it but had absolutely nothing to do with a grant applied for by the Elections Division manager and signed off on by the county manager. Maybe check your facts?
— ADowns (@ADowns715) October 8, 2020
Downs then tweeted a screenshot she said showed the application sent by David Voye, the Elections Division manager, on Oct. 1.
Local media took an interest. Chris Potter of WESA-FM retweeted Downs’ remark. Hallam joined in, responding with another email screenshot. She said she’d sent her application Sept. 25 and “this email was addressed to me.” After adding a shoulder-shrugging emoji, she wrote, “Wonder how that happened.”
Downs, pressing on, reminded Hallam she has “no authority to apply for anything on behalf of the county.” Hallam retorted that “actually I have full authority” as long as the county manager signs off on it.
Via email, Downs provided the Tribune-Review a copy of the award letter from the Center for Tech and Civic Life. It was for $2,052,251 and addressed to the county Board of Elections.
Sam DeMarco, the other county council member at-large and chairman of the Allegheny County Republicans, released a statement Thursday morning. He congratulated the Board of Elections on the Center for Tech and Civic Life grant. “I commend Elections Division Manager David Voye and his whole team for their successful submission of this grant,” he wrote, conspicuously omitting Hallam’s name in the statement.
