Kenneth C. Crowe II reports in the Times Union that Republican Congressperson Elise Stefanik stood next to Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin, who faces felony charges for the alleged misuse of campaign funds, on Oct. 24 and called the charges against McLaughlin "a political witch hunt. The FBI is absolutely politicized and weaponized." But the charges against McLaughlin were filed by state prosecutors, not the FBI. McLaughlin was indicted in 2021 by a grand jury for grand larceny and offering a false instrument for filing for allegedly stealing $5,000 from his campaign account in November 2017. The scheme allegedly had McLaughlin taking campaign funds through a consulting firm to pay back a loan to a former legislative staff member just weeks after he won his first term as county executive. But the FBI did not bring those charges. Nevertheless, she persisted. "We see at all levels, the FBI have been weaponized to go after Republicans," Stefanik said, even though the FBI is not involved in McLaughlin's case. But "federal investigators are, however, looking into allegations of ballot fraud in Rensselaer County," the Times Union reports. Read more about this story in the Times Union.