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(WASHINGTON) — House progressives on Tuesday retracted a letter they sent Monday to President Joe Biden in which they urged him to directly negotiate with Russia on an end to the war in Ukraine, now in its ninth month.

“The letter was drafted several months ago, but unfortunately was released by staff without vetting,” Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., said in a statement Tuesday. Jayapal said she accepts responsibility for its release.

Minnesota Democrat Ilhan Omar confirmed in a statement to ABC News Tuesday that the 30 progressives wrote the letter over the summer “in response to reports that Ukraine was being pressured by Washington not to negotiate.”

The retraction follows backlash from both Democrats and Republicans, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. It also comes less than a day after Jayapal clarified the letter’s meaning after initial criticism from lawmakers.

“Let me be clear: we are united as Democrats in our unequivocal commitment to supporting Ukraine in their fight for their democracy and freedom in the face of the illegal and outrageous Russian invasion, and nothing in the letter advocates for a change in that support,” Jayapal said Monday. “Diplomacy is an important tool that can save lives — but it is just one tool.”

When asked if the White House advised the Progressive Caucus to retract the letter, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Tuesday declined to comment on the letter.

“We appreciate the bipartisan effort,” she said about funding for the war effort to date, “and we are going to continue to be in conversations with members of Congress on how to continue to move forward in order to support Ukraine in their efforts.”

Speaking Tuesday, Pelosi vowed that Ukrainian aid would be included in an end-of-year funding bill. While the progressives who penned the letter urged direct talks with Russia, none of them have opposed more aid for Ukraine.

“Congress has secured over $60 billion in security, economic, humanitarian and budget assistance for Ukraine,” she said at an international aid conference summit in Zagreb, Croatia. “And more will be on the way when we pass our omnibus funding bill this fall.”

In her remarks, Pelosi made it clear that the U.S. will continue defending democracy in Ukraine “until victory is won.” Those comments make her the highest-ranking Democrat to seemingly buck the Progressive Caucus’ message, which other Democratic lawmakers have criticized.

Arizona Democrat Rep. Ruben Gallego pushed back on the letter on Twitter, saying, “The way to end a war? Win it quickly. How is it won quickly? By giving Ukraine the weapons to defeat Russia.”

The letter also ruffled feathers among some who signed it.

“I signed this letter on June 30, but a lot has changed since then,” California Democrat Sara Jacobs tweeted. “I wouldn’t sign it today.”

Wisconsin Democrat Mark Pocan also said in a tweet that the letter was written over the summer and held for release until now.

“I have no idea why it went out now. Bad timing,” he said.

Directly engaging with Moscow as the now-retracted letter called for would mark a major shift from Biden’s strategy of providing billions in military and economic aid as talks with Russia have faltered in recent months.

House Republicans plan to put up a fight on passing Ukraine aid. Top House Intelligence Committee Republican Mike Turner of Ohio told reporters Monday that the end-of-year funding is going to be “the wild, wild west of spending” as Democratic lawmakers attach their final wish list of items during the upcoming lame-duck session.

“The problem with Ukrainian funding in the House is not Ukraine,” he said. “It’s all the things that are being attached to it that have nothing to do with Ukraine.”

Turner later signaled that the House GOP, including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, would support providing more weapons to Ukraine.

It all comes weeks before the midterm elections in which Republicans could take over control of the House. Last week, McCarthy told Punchbowl News that a Republican House majority in the next Congress would not support “a free blank check” for Ukraine as Americans face a recession at home.

Asked about the letter during her press briefing Monday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the administration is “very thankful” for the “bipartisan support” for Ukrainian aid it has enjoyed in Congress since earlier this year.

Jean-Pierre said she had not seen the letter but that the White House would “continue to keep those lines of communication open and continue to have conversations with members of Congress.”

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(NEW YORK) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Democratic candidate Charlie Crist faced off on issues including the economy, the state’s abortion ban, and immigration in the first and only gubernatorial debate.

Crist, who spoke with ABC News’ GMA3 about his campaign and how he felt the debate unfolded on Monday night, also attacked DeSantis’ decision to send a plane of migrants to Martha’s Vineyard and speculation about a possible presidential run for DeSantis in 2024.

Crist, who is currently trailing in the polls, discussed his own political history and the issues most important to his campaign with GMA3.

GMA3: Joining us now is the Democratic candidate for governor of Florida, former Florida Governor and Congressman Charlie Crist. Welcome to “GMA3.” So, yes, you had the debate last night. You did have a lot of ground to make up according to the most recent polls. How do you think you did? Did you think you moved any numbers there? Did you sway any voters over to your side?

CRIST: Well, we’ll find out. I felt very good about the debate, though, I can tell you that. Because I wanted to point out the differences between Ron DeSantis and myself and the fact that, you know, I want to protect a woman’s right to choose. He’s already signed a bill that takes that away. It’s a 15-week ban, and it doesn’t even have any exceptions for rape or incest, which I think is just cruel and unconscionable. So, I thought that was important.

I also thought it was important when I asked whether or not if he’s reelected, would he commit to serving a full four-year term? He wouldn’t. He was like a deer in the headlights. Wouldn’t answer the question because he’s rumored, as you’re probably aware, to want to run for president in 2024.

So, he’s asking the people of Florida for their vote for governor and wouldn’t even say or commit that he will serve the full term as their governor. That’s not right. Florida deserves better and it should be more honest, frankly.

GMA3: Well, Mr. Crist, I’ll give you an opportunity there to answer what many would find as hypocrisy. You’re sitting here right now because you left your seat in Congress and didn’t finish your term because you wanted to run for governor. How is that different?

CRIST: I did the same thing DeSantis did. As soon as we both got the nomination for governor from our respective parties, we did that to focus on the governor’s race. So, you know, I don’t apologize for it at all. I did the right thing. I wanted to make sure, because I’m trying to save my state, frankly, from his horrible leadership, to be focused on this campaign and to try to win for my fellow Floridians. They deserve a better governor and a governor who’s got a heart.

GMA3: Governor, to your point there about DeSantis, you said you’re trying to save the state. Do you feel pressure? Are you maybe even getting it behind the scenes from someone– party insiders, other Democrats? But do you feel pressure now it’s on you to stop Governor DeSantis? Because many see him continuing to rise in the ranks, if you will, and the Republican Party. And, yes, rumored to want a 2024 run. Most polls show you behind, sometimes outside of that margin of error. Are you feeling that pressure, even hearing that pressure that it’s on you now?

CRIST: Well, I look, I love Florida. I’m running for governor of Florida because I know that the state deserves better leadership than we have right now. I mean, he wouldn’t evacuate Lee County when Hurricane Ian was coming in until it was too late. We lost over 100 people. You know, he won’t, as I said earlier, respect a woman’s right to choose, which I think is unconscionable.

You know, he tries to meddle in our school board decisions in all 67 counties of our state. He recently removed a sitting state attorney because he said something that wasn’t in the same line of view that Governor DeSantis holds. That’s gross, overpowering and unconstitutional, what he’s doing to my state.

He pits, you know, gay against straight, white against Black, young against old. He’s a divider. I’m a uniter. I want to bring Florida together. He is tearing my state apart. That’s the pressure I feel. I love Florida and I want her to have a better governor. And that’s why I’m running, to give the people a choice in this race.

GMA3: Congressman, at last night’s debate, you called Florida unaffordable for most of our citizens. I’m curious, if you were elected governor again, would you do things differently? Would you lead differently as a Democrat rather than a Republican as you were before?

CRIST: I would lead as Charlie Crist. I’m the same person I’ve always been. And what I did before as governor as it relates to affordability– we had a property insurance crisis when I served. I called a special session. We lowered rates by 10%. He called a special session. They didn’t lower rates for our people at all. Our utility bills are through the roof in the Sunshine State. I fought the utility companies.

He’s bought and owned by the utility companies, just like he is the NRA. He doesn’t fight them. He doesn’t stand up for the people. And if people want something better, they ought to go to CharlieCrist.com and help me win. It’s important for the future of our state and frankly, the future of our country.

GMA3: What is the– what is your polling showing you? We’ve used a couple here– eight points, we’ve seen seven points. But what is it showing you right now about your chances and how much ground you need to make up in here in the closing days?

CRIST: Well, I’ll share a couple with you. About 10 days ago, we saw a poll that had me up by six. About a week ago, one that had me down by one. Listen, this race is always the way Florida is. It’s going to be tight. It’s going to continue to close, frankly. And I think it’s up to the will of the people. An awful lot of people are early voting already in Florida. I’m very glad about that and encouraged.

They’re motivated, particularly women, because the right to choose is on the ballot in Florida. I mean, the next governor, it’s either going to be me or Ron DeSantis and the legislature is going to send that governor a piece of legislation that will be an outright ban to abortion in Florida. I will veto it as the next governor. He will sign it. That’s a difference in this race.

GMA3: Democratic candidate for governor of Florida, Charlie Crist, we appreciate your time today. Thank you so much for being with us.

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(WASHINGTON) — Military planes dropping bombs, battleships at the ready, scores of soldiers marching in the streets — and across the screen flashes the words, “Your country needs you once again.”

“Beat the cheat,” the video urges viewers.

The footage is from a new recruitment video released by The America Project, an organization led by prominent election deniers Patrick Byrne, the former Overstock.com CEO, and retired general Michael Flynn, a former Trump national security adviser, who have joined forces in the final weeks leading up to the midterm elections to recruit ex-military and first responders to staff polling locations around the country.

The operation, fueled by false election claims and using recruitment material featuring images of war, has been dubbed “One Last Mission” by Byrne and Flynn, who emerged as leading figures in the effort to overturn the 2020 election.

“The America Project has spun up the coup de grâce on the enemy,” Byrne said in a separate video announcing the campaign, telling viewers he believes the “bad guys are going to come at us with another rig”– despite there being no evidence that the 2020 election was rigged or stolen.

Poll workers, who set up voting equipment, sign-in and process voters, and report results, are typically apolitical positions for which applicants must affirm that they won’t act for the benefit of any candidate or party.

“AMERICA NEEDS YOU NOW MORE THAN EVER,” read an October post on the group’s Instagram account. “You took an oath to preserve and protect the Constitution. And defending it means ensuring election integrity.”

“This is the most important thing I think going on in America right now,” Byrne said in a recent interview promoting the effort on a conservative internet show. “We’re asking you to save the country again.”

He said in another interview that the recruiting campaign has been “going like gangbusters” after launching in September.

The “One Last Mission” campaign is the latest effort launched by The America Project, which has announced a slate of programs aimed at impacting future elections, many fueled by baseless claims that the 2020 election was stolen.

The group has also conducted poll worker “training” around the county, called “Operation Eagle’s Wings,” which is targeting key battleground states including Arizona, Georgia, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

The America Project has so far trained almost 6,000 poll workers in just Pennsylvania alone, according to Flynn’s brother Michael Flynn, who is the group’s president. The training is separate and additional to training from election officials.

“They won’t be able to steal this election the same way they stole 2020!” he tweeted.

The recruitment of poll workers based on unproven claims of voter fraud has raised alarm bells with some election experts.

“Recruiting people based on lies is problematic, and to do that and then to add the militaristic ‘we’re at war’ imagery, I think is inviting people to that process with the wrong perspective,” Sean Morales-Doyle, acting director of voting rights at the nonprofit, nonpartisan Brennan Center for Justice, told ABC News. “Skepticism is one thing, but coming to that job believing that the election was stolen and on the lookout for nonexistent conspiracies and fraud is problematic.”

Morales-Doyle said there is a long history of former servicemen and women serving as poll watchers, and that they often “come to that work precisely because they are people who are committed to public service and making sure the process works.”

“However,” he said, “the methods used by groups like The America Project — conflating images of war with false election fraud claims — can be a troubling combination ahead of Election Day.”

And while Byrne says in some videos that the effort should be peaceful, Morales-Doyle warned that the images being used by the group project a different message.

“The use of militaristic imagery and terminology in order to recruit people to be poll watchers is troubling, in part, because there’s a history of problems with intimidation by poll watchers in this country,” Morales-Doyle said. “There’s specifically a history of efforts to use off-duty law enforcement and poll watchers to accomplish racially discriminatory intimidation, so it gives me concern when you see that kind of recruitment.”

The America Project did not respond to a request for comment from ABC News.

The organization was founded as a 501(c)(4) not-for-profit organization in the wake of the 2020 election, according to documents reviewed by ABC News. Michael Flynn said in an online interview posted last week that Byrne had primarily funded the group by investing “a lot of his own personal treasure.”

According to a filing with North Carolina charity regulators, the group listed its planned budget for 2021 as $50 million. When ABC News asked to see the group’s Form 990, a filing that tax-exempt organizations make to the Internal Revenue Service, a representative for The America Project said they had filed an extension until after the election, in February 2023.

In addition to Byrne and Flynn, The America Project is staffed with several former Trump administration officials, according to documents. Emily Newman, who served as an adviser in the Trump administration, is listed as president of the group’s board of directors, and another former Trump administration official, Tim Meisburger, was recently announced as the group’s “election integrity director.”

Meisburger, who served as deputy assistant administrator at the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Development, Democracy and Innovation, left the agency after reportedly making comments that downplayed the attack on the U.S. Capitol shortly after Jan. 6.

Michael Flynn, who served as then-President Donald Trump’s national security adviser until 2017, was initially a prominent face of The America Project and was featured in one of the group’s first videos promoting its formation. Up until a month ago, the retired general was the first one listed in the “About Us” section of the group’s website — but recently his name was removed. The America Project did not respond to questions about Michael Flynn’s ongoing involvement with the group.

“We are crisscrossing the country doing all we can in these remaining days to mobilize believers to have courage and stand up to protect our country from this takeover,” Michael Flynn told Charisma News, a Christian news outlet. “If it is not stopped with an overwhelming turnout and victory in both the House and the Senate, our nation will be forever lost. Now is the time for courage.”

For election experts like Morales-Doyle, groups like The America Project present a dilemma: Is it better to raise alarm bells about their potential threats, or stay quiet so voters aren’t scared off from going to the polls?

“Post Jan. 6, there’s no way that I can tell you that we aren’t at a higher risk of political violence and intimidation and people responding to [those] kinds of calls,” Morales-Doyle said. “It’s the same kind of stuff that prompted people to show up to the Capitol on Jan. 6. I think there’s a real threat and a real concern.”

However, he said. “I just think that whenever we talk about that threat and that concern, it’s important to also keep in mind that most people aren’t going to face that when they go to the polls — and people shouldn’t be scared to go vote.”

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(WASHINGTON) — Six cases of alleged voter intimidation at drop box locations in Arizona have been referred to the Justice Department in Washington, Secretary of State Katie Hobbs said Monday, as early voting options have been open for nearly two weeks across the state.

“Voter harassment may include gathering around ballot drop boxes questioning voters, brandishing weapons, taking pictures of people voting and following or chasing voters who are attempting to drop off their ballots, and it can all be considered voter intimidation. It is unacceptable,” Hobbs said in a release. “I will continue to forward reports received to law enforcement, and I urge law enforcement to take action to protect voters from ongoing intimidation.”

Attorney General Merrick Garland, asked on Monday about voter intimidation at Arizona ballot drop boxes, said, “The Justice Department has an obligation to guarantee a free and fair vote by everyone whose qualified to vote and will not permit voters to be intimidated.”

Five recorded complaints obtained by ABC News occurred between Oct. 17 and Oct. 22, outside ballot drop boxes at 501 S. 3rd Ave. in Phoenix and at the Mesa Juvenile Court, both in Maricopa County. Most described an instance of groups of individuals loitering near the drop boxes, filming and photographing voters as they returned their ballots and in some cases, taking photographs of the voters’ license plates. One report described individuals dressed in “camo-clad gear” and photos from election officials show at least two armed individuals outside the Mesa drop box Friday.

One incident report, filed on Oct. 20 at 12:30 p.m. at Mesa Juvenile Court detailed how a couple in their 70s, who parked their car in order to individually put their ballots in the drop box, said they were approached by a group of five or six men in the parking lot.

“As we were getting up to our car, two individuals took pictures of our license plate and our car. I got out and asked what they were doing. They claimed they were taking pictures for “election security” and I took pictures of them to report them to the DOJ for voter intimation and harassment. As we were pulling out, they continued to film my wife, myself and our car,” the complaint said.

Early voting in the 2022 midterm elections began Oct. 12 in Arizona, where 402,000 early ballots have been returned so far, according to data compiled by the secretary of state from 15 county recorders. Aside from voters and credentialed government or party officials, individuals must stay at least 75 feet away from secure drop box locations, according to Arizona law.

“There’s a group of people hanging out near the ballot dropbox filming and photographing my wife and I as we approached the dropbox and accusing us of being a mile (mule),” another incident report, filed on Oct. 17 at 6:40 p.m. at Mesa Juvenile Court said. “They took photographs of our license plate and of us and then followed us out the parking lot in one of their cars continuing to film.”

Accusations of being “mules” is in reference to a widely debunked, far-right film, ‘2,000 Mules,’ which falsely alleges that individuals hired by Democrats stuffed numerous drop boxes with potentially fake absentee ballots during the 2020 election.

Hobbs’ office in its release on Monday also referred at least one report of election worker harassment to law enforcement over the weekend after she and two other employees were sent a menacing and vulgar message: “Remember the French Revolution of 1799??….” it said.

Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone told reporters on Monday his office also is working with the DOJ to identify which cases qualify as voter intimidation. Since voting began, he said his team has written two criminal reports and submitted those to the county prosecutor.

“I think it’s undermining who we are as a nation, and I think that it’s self-serving in many ways. And what do I see now as the sheriff of one of the biggest counties in the nation, I see that every day I’m dedicating a considerable amount of resources, just to give people confidence that they can cast a vote safely and that is absurd,” he said.

“The more folks that are creating problems, the more deputies that you’re gonna see on the streets focused on this versus burglaries and crimes against children and robberies and all the stuff we shouldn’t be doing. But we’ll come and we’ll babysit polling sites because people have to misbehave, if that’s what we have to do to protect democracy,” he added.

Last week, some individuals set up camp there and told ABC News affiliate KNXV they were out at a drop box in Mesa to “catch some Vitamin D” and with “Clean Elections USA” — a group that calls individuals to monitor drop box locations.

“We are looking for true Patriots to take a stand and watch the drop boxes. We want to gather video (and live witness evidence) of any ballot tampering that takes place in real time,” their website reads.

Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon hosted a woman named Melody Jennings last week on his podcast, who said she’s the founder of the group. Jennings said they’re going to find “mules” — another reference to the widely debunked “2,000 Mules” film.

Non-profit groups Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans and Voto Latino filed a lawsuit Monday seeking a restraining order against Clean Elections USA and the individuals they said have been gathering at and surveilling drop boxes in Arizona.

Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Gates and Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, who have faced death threats of their own as election workers, condemned the drop box watchers in a joint statement on Saturday.

“We are deeply concerned about the safety of individuals who are exercising their constitutional right to vote and who are lawfully taking their early ballot to a drop box. Uninformed vigilantes outside Maricopa County’s drop boxes are not increasing election integrity. Instead, they are leading to voter intimidation complaints. Although monitoring and transparency in our elections is critical, voter intimidation is unlawful.”

Kelly Townsend, a Republican and state senator, tweeted Monday, “I should not have to say this but wearing tactical gear while watching a ballot drop box could be considered voter intimidation. Don’t do it.”

ABC News’ Isabella Murray contributed to this report.

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