Diane Ellis-Marseglia of Bucks County says the comments were taken out of context

Chairwoman of the Bucks County Board of Commissioners Diane Ellis-Marseglia said Monday that her remarks about a violation of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court were taken out of context after they sparked a nationwide backlash against the county board of elections.

Ellis-Marseglia, a Democrat, alleged a “misinterpretation [an] “poorly worded statement on my part” after her comments drew rebukes from President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign and the state’s Democratic governor, as well as many others after Bucks County was one of several to defy the guidelines state Supreme Court and voted to accept undated absentee ballots.

“I apologize for all the upset and confusion this has caused,” Ellis-Marseglia said of her comments.

Last week, Ellis-Marseglia said judicial precedent no longer matters in this country, justifying her vote to include ballots deemed defective by the state Supreme Court

“People break the law whenever they want,” she added. “So for me, the violation of this law is because I want the court to pay attention to it. There is nothing more important than counting votes.”

The comment drew keen scrutiny from national Republicans as the Senate race between Republican Dave McCormick and Democrat Sen. Bob Casey was recounted, with Casey losing by less than half a percentage point.

Trump campaign manager Chris LaCivita suggested on Sunday evening that Bucks County commissioners, including Ellis-Marseglia, “go to jail.”

But she also received a rebuke from Democrats, including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who broke his silence on the recount and admonished counties for disregarding Supreme Court rulings.

“Any insinuation that our rights can be ignored or that they don’t matter is irresponsible and undermines faith in our electoral process,” Shapiro said. “It is critical that counties and officials on both sides honor this issue in both their rhetoric and actions.”

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court reiterated its position Monday, issuing an additional ruling prohibiting the posting of undated absentee ballots, which Bucks clerk Monday said provided her with some welcome clarity.

“This is what I was hoping for, for the court to speak out and give us clarity,” Ellis-Marseglia said. “We were in limbo and now we have full clarity.”