Toronto Star
· collected 2026-10-08 · by Marc Levy The Associated Press
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security included allegations in a press release about the arrest of Chimaobim Adedayo Igbojekwe for indecent exposure that he worked for Democratic congressional candidate Janelle Stelson in Pennsylvania’s 10th district, drawing criticism from Democrats and nonpartisan watchdogs. The department claimed Igbojekwe had campaign fliers for Stelson in his vehicle, but her campaign denied any connection to him, and no evidence of employment was found in financial reports. CREW filed a complaint with the Office of Special Counsel claiming this as a Hatch Act violation.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-08,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
In Pennsylvania's 10th Congressional District, ICE arrested Chimaobim Adedayo Igbojekwe, a 35-year-old Nigerian national, on charges of indecent exposure and disorderly conduct. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security claimed in a press release that Igbojekwe was previously employed as a door-to-door canvasser for Democratic candidate Janelle Stelson. However, the Stelson campaign denied this claim, stating that Igbojekwe had never been an employee or volunteer. The department's press release also included comments from ICE Deputy Director Charles Wall, who criticized Stelson’s campaign for allegedly employing illegal immigrants. Democrats and nonpartisan groups like Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington have accused the Department of Homeland Security of violating the Hatch Act by using its authority to influence election outcomes politically.
Written for “ICE Arrest In Campaign” on 2026-10-09,
grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it +0.35, but none of the 2 quote(s) it offered could be found in the article text, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score withheld for article 66981: no verified evidence · logged 2026-10-08
When the U.S. Department of Homeland Security publicized the arrest of a Nigerian man for indecent exposure this week, it included a political attack that’s drawing complaints from Democrats and a nonpartisan government watchdog.
asserted
that → publicize → Democrats
The department’s press release alleges that the man worked for a Democratic congressional candidate in a Pennsylvania battleground district, an unusual reference to a high-profile midterm contest.
asserted
man → allege → contest
“It’s unbelievable that Janelle Stelson would employ an illegal alien to work on a congressional campaign, let alone a pervert who exposed himself in public,” Charles Wall, deputy director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said in the press release.
asserted
Wall → ’ → release
A police report said the man had fliers for Stelson in his vehicle.
asserted
man → say → vehicle
Stelson’s campaign denied that the man was an employee, and campaign finance reports don’t show any payments to him.
asserted
reports → deny → him
The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to questions about how it established the man worked for Stelson.
asserted
man → respond → Stelson
Its press release cited a news report quoting a conservative activist who asserted the connection.
asserted
who → cite → connection
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington filed a complaint Thursday with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, calling the department’s attack on Stelson a blatant violation of the Hatch Act, which prohibits government officials from using their official positions to influence elections.
asserted
which → file → elections
Donald Sherman, who leads CREW, said he’d never seen anything like the department’s statement, where a law enforcement agency “goes out of its way” to reference a campaign affiliation in a press release that has nothing to do with election-related crimes.
asserted
that → lead → crimes
The press release is “consistent with the message that the administration and that the president has sent from the top that ICE is to be involved in elections, regardless of what the law says,” Sherman said.
asserted
Sherman → send → what
Stelson, a former local television personality, is running for the second time against Republican Rep. Scott Perry in Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District.
asserted
Stelson → run → District
It’s expected to be one of the races that determines control of the U.S. House in the November midterms.
asserted
that → expect → midterms
“If he is an illegal immigrant who committed a crime he should be deported,” Stelson’s campaign said.
asserted
campaign → commit → crime
“We never heard of him prior to the news of his arrest.
asserted
We → hear → arrest
We are grateful to law enforcement for acting swiftly to arrest him.”
asserted
We → act → him
President Donald Trump’s administration is already under scrutiny for using federal resources for political purposes.
asserted
administration → use → purposes
The Department of Homeland Security has spent millions of taxpayer dollars on advertisements glorifying Trump and promoting his campaign messaging, drawing a pair of lawsuits and bipartisan backlash.
asserted
Department → spend → lawsuits
According to a police report obtained by The Associated Press, Chimaobim Adedayo Igbojekwe was arrested by an East Pennsboro Township police officer on Sept. 27 after a report of a suspicious vehicle parked next to a public park on a residential street in the Harrisburg suburb.
uncertain
Igbojekwe → accord → suburb
The officer wrote that, when Igbojekwe opened the door to talk to the officer, he noticed that Igbojekwe’s “genitals were exposed.”
asserted
genitals → write → officer
Igbojekwe told the officer he was “in the neighborhood for work and that he was waiting to hand out flyers for Janelle Stelson’s political campaign,” according to the report.
uncertain
he → tell → report
Igbojekwe produced a stack of flyers, the officer wrote.
asserted
officer → produce → flyers
It’s not clear whether the man was working as a paid canvasser for another organization.
asserted
man → ’ → organization
Igbojekwe was charged with disorderly conduct and indecent exposure.
asserted
Igbojekwe → charge → conduct
He pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct, court records say, and was later arrested by ICE.
asserted
records → plead → ICE
Homeland Security said Igbojekwe entered the country legally in 2017 but remained past his “authorized period.”
asserted
Igbojekwe → say → period
He was granted deferred action by President Joe Biden’s administration in 2021.
asserted
He → grant → 2021
Igbojekwe’s public defender did not return a call about the case.
asserted
defender → return → case
The Aporia
