#2632: Erika Calihan

Erika Calihan is a random woman whom former Kentucky governor Matt Bevin for some reason (Bevin called her a “good friend”) appointed to a state government position. Calihan, being a lunatic dingbat and conspiracy theorist, promptly used the opportunity to scour facebook for nonsense related to the 2019 election that Bevin lost, primarily various conspiracy theories and fake news alleging massive election fraud – conspiracy theories that Matt Bevin went on to repeat in public. The claims included for instance references – without a shred of evidence, of course – to “thousands of absentee ballots that were illegally counted”, people allegedly being “incorrectly turned away” at the polls, “a number of [voting] machines that didn’t work properly”, and ballots being stored in open boxes.

 

Calihan subsequently appointed herself Executive Director of her own astroturf group Citizens for Election Integrity (basically herself and one Kris Stuebs), and became, as such, the de facto leader of the Kentucky gubernatorial election conspiracy activists (in addition to Bevin himself, of course): “We’re newly formed because we heard all the charges just like everybody else,” said Calihan about the group, neglecting to mention that all the allegations came from herself. She demurred when reporters asked for specific evidence, but the group did circulate a press release touting an event in Frankfort where they would present purported evidence (mostly rumors, footage from CNN that the group claims is “video evidence” of “manipulation” at electronic voting booths, and purported irregularities in vote totals reported on county websites). When they failed to provide any actual evidence, Calihan explained that “We’re just two moms” (herself and Stuebs). She didn’t admit to being wrong, of course.

 

Together with Bevin, Calihan predictably went on to become a semi-professional COVID-19 restriction protestor and heckler.

 

Diagnosis: Insane conspiracy theorist. Yeah, she’s done and gone, but she’s also strikingly representative of a certain segment of the population.