President Trump Gives “Complete And Total Endorsement” To Congressman Mike Lawler Amid Petition Fraud Controversy In NY-17 Race

President Donald Trump publicly praised Congressman Mike Lawler and issued a strong endorsement for his reelection campaign after Lawler accused Democratic challenger Effie Phillips-Staley of filing fraudulent petition signatures.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Lawler is “doing a terrific job” representing New York’s 17th Congressional District and called him a “WINNER,” while giving him his “Complete and Total Endorsement.”

Trump’s comments came after Lawler released a statement regarding a recent court ruling tied to petition signatures submitted by Phillips-Staley’s campaign. According to Lawler, the ruling found that hundreds of signatures collected by a paid canvasser were fraudulent.

“As I said from the beginning, the petitions filed by @effie4congress had significant fraud,” Lawler wrote. “Judge Fried has referred it for criminal prosecution.”

Lawler also announced that he is formally requesting investigations by the Westchester and Rockland County District Attorneys, along with federal authorities including the FBI and the Southern District of New York.

Trump echoed those allegations in his Truth Social post, claiming Phillips-Staley’s campaign was “caught CHEATING, RED-HANDED,” and called for the matter to be investigated immediately.

Despite the ruling, Phillips-Staley reportedly remains on the ballot under current election law. Lawler argued that state election law should be changed so that filing fraudulent petitions would automatically disqualify a candidate.

The race for New York’s 17th Congressional District is expected to remain highly competitive heading into the upcoming election cycle.