FACT CHECK: Janelle Stelson Campaign Did Not Employ Undocumented Immigrant, Despite False Claims

Stelson Campaign Manager Alma Baker: “This individual is not and has never been employed by the Janelle Stelson campaign.”

Washington, D.C. – New reporting from American Journal News reveals that the Trump White House made a false and deeply misleading claim that PA-10 Democratic candidate Janelle Stelson’s campaign employed an undocumented immigrant accused of indecent exposure—a claim that has since been easily disproven by the public record.

According to the new report, the false claim originated with Scott Pressler, a far-right activist with no affiliation with the government or law enforcement, and was then eagerly amplified by far-right influencers in an apparent effort to deceive voters in Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District.

American Journal News confirms Janelle Stelson’s campaign did not employ this individual, has no affiliation with him, and had never heard of him before his arrest. His name, Chimaobim Adedayo Igbojekwe, does not appear in any of Stelson’s FEC filings. 

Stelson’s campaign also quickly issued a statement making clear that Igbojekwe has no connection to the campaign:

“This individual is not and has never been employed by the Janelle Stelson campaign,” said campaign manager Alma Baker. “If he is an illegal immigrant who committed a crime he should be deported. We never heard of him prior to the news of his arrest. We are grateful to law enforcement for acting swiftly to arrest him.”

Read more below:

American Journal News: Stelson campaign did not employ undocumented immigrant, despite WH claims
By Jesse Valentine 
October 8, 2026

• The Trump White House made a verifiably false claim when it said Democrat Janelle Stelson’s campaign employed an undocumented immigrant accused of indecent exposure.

• The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a press release on Oct. 7 announcing the arrest of Chimaobim Adedayo Igbojekwe, a Nigerian man living in Pennsylvania. The first sentence of the release incorrectly identifies him as a “canvasser for congressional candidate Janelle Stelson.”

• Candidates for federal office are required to publicly report all individuals who are employed by or receive payment from their campaigns. Igbojekwe’s name does not appear in any of Stelson’s FEC filings.

• Stelson’s campaign was quick to issue a statement affirming that they do not know Igbojekwe and have no affiliation with him.

• “This individual is not and has never been employed by the Janelle Stelson campaign,” said campaign manager Alma Baker. “If he is an illegal immigrant who committed a crime he should be deported. We never heard of him prior to the news of his arrest. We are grateful to law enforcement for acting swiftly to arrest him.”

• It’s not clear what the White House is basing the false claim on, but several far-right influencers, including LibsOfTikTok and Benny Johnson, were quick to propagate it, causing the lie to spread across social media.

• The DHS press release claims Igbojekwe’s ties to the Stelson campaign were confirmed by “local reporting.” This isn’t true either. The cited source is Shore News Network, a multi-state outlet with a clear conservative bias. The Shore News Network article says it received the information from Scott Pressler, a far-right activist who is not affiliated with the government or law enforcement.

• Stelson is challenging Republican Rep. Scott Perry in Pennsylvania’s 10th District. It is widely considered one of the most competitive congressional races of 2026.

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