LAFAYETTE HILL, Pennsylvania— Pennsylvania Phyllis Schlafly Eagles held their 2022 Awards Ceremony at the Green Valley Country Club just north of Philadelphia on Friday, honoring Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn and State Senator Doug Mastriano (R-Gettysburg).
“I am absolutely honored to be here,” Flynn told the crowd. “It’s really amazing for me to be up at this dais with this great group of people here.”
The lieutenant general received the “Phyllis Schlafly Freedom Award,” named after the founder of the conservative nonprofit Eagle Forum who passed away in 2016. Flynn was flanked by Mastriano, Pennsylvania Phyllis Schlafly Eagles President Stan Casacio, Schlafly Eagles national President Ed Martin, WWDB 860 radio host Don Beishl Jr., Phyllis Schlafly’s son John and Pennsylvania Senate candidate Kathy Barnette.
A former national security adviser to President Donald Trump, Flynn was the subject of a Federal Bureau of Investigation probe over statements he made to the bureau about his discussions with a Russian ambassador in late 2016. Even some Trump critics argued that the ex-president was right to pardon Flynn and that the FBI’s conduct of the investigation was improper.
After that year’s election, in which Joe Biden became president-elect, Flynn was active in disputing the reported results and has vociferously denounced the certification of electoral votes in favor of Biden, contending that the Democrat’s win owed to voter fraud in several states including Arizona, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. In mid-December 2020, Flynn endorsed the use of martial law and a “rerun” of the 2020 election in disputed states.
In his Friday remarks, he stressed to attendees his view that America finds itself in a dire situation because of far-left White House policymaking and threats to election integrity.
“We have never been in [a comparable] moment in history,” he said. “This is not 1775 or 1776; this is not the Civil War era. This is totally unprecedented. This is not about Democrats and Republicans or liberals or progressives and conservatives. This is about: either you love this country or you’re a traitor. This is a very, very difficult moment in time.”
He cited lawlessness fomented by organizations like Black Lives Matter, a movement that he said is “not about color” but about the Marxism its leaders avow. He also lamented poor educational quality in the United States as well as Pennsylvania’s $46-billion budget, which he said is oversized for a commonwealth in which about 12.8 million people live.
Despite these concerns, and despite his admittedly cold feelings toward the Republican Party, he said he has high hopes for the political candidacies of several who spoke to the crowd that night, including Mastriano, who is running for governor. He also praised Barnette and lieutenant governor candidate Teddy Daniels.
“I’m so psyched for the type of leadership that you guys are going to bring to this state and this country.”
Mastriano received the Schlafly Eagles’ “Pennsylvania Voter Integrity Award” for his efforts to legislatively challenge the 2020 election result, initiate an investigation of that election in the Keystone State, and pursue voting reforms in the election’s aftermath.
The senator expressed his gratitude to the organization and to the late Phyllis Schlafly for her many years of conservative activism.
“I think your mom would be proud,” he said to John Schlafly. “Thank you for the legacy of carrying this on.”
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Bradley Vasoli is managing editor of The Pennsylvania Daily Star. Follow Brad on Twitter at @BVasoli. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Michael Flynn” by Unknown Author. Photo “Doug Mastriano” by Majorbuxton. CC BY-SA 4.0. Background Photo “Pennsylvania Phyllis Schlafly Eagles 2022 Awards Banquet” by Phyllis Schlafly Eagles.
