Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Aaron Bernstine’s own party and state House Democrats are calling for him to resign after a video surfaced showing him encouraging his 5-year-old son to smoke.
The House GOP released a statement today saying Bernstine, who represents part of Lawrence, Beaver and Butler counties, needs to immediately resign for his alleged conduct.
“As parents and fellow legislators, we are disgusted by Rep. Bernstine’s conduct. In order to take the time necessary to focus on his family and repair his relationships, we call on Rep. Bernstine to immediately resign,” the statement reads.
Shortly after, the House Democratic leaders also joined Republicans’ call for Bernstine’s resignation.
“The people deserve to know the men and women they send to Harrisburg will behave in a manner worthy of the public’s trust,” the Democrats’ statement reads.
Bernstine shared video clips this summer on his now-deleted Snapchat account in which he encourages his 5-year-old son to puff on a cigar and use profane language — and plays an adult-themed game with another youngster.
In one video, Bernstine, is behind the camera, but his hand is shown holding a cigar and offering it to his son.
When the young boy takes a puff, Bernstine tells him to “hit it harder” and “breathe in,” followed by a woman’s voice saying, “No.”
A second video has Bernstine again off camera asking his son, “What are we going to chase in Nashville?” The boy replies in a whisper, “Cadillac p—-,” using a vulgar term for vagina.
Bernstine today acknowledged making “errors in judgement” but said he would not resign.
He is running for a third two-year term and faces two challengers, Beaver Falls Democrat Kolbe Cole and independent candidate Johnathan Peffer of Franklin Township, who is running under the United Party banner.
Another video with Bernstine’s voice in the background shows an unidentified older boy, who sources have said is from Beaver County. Bernstine is off-camera trying to get the boy to play the F—, Marry, Kill game, which typically offers up three names of men or women and players have to pick one for each action.
Two of the women Bernstine mentions are country music stars Dolly Parton and Miranda Lambert.
The boy seems confused and Bernstine says, “You’re not playing the game. FMK,” with the boy responding, “FMK? What’s it?”
A fourth video has two boys, neither Bernstine’s son, talking and yelling and Bernstine saying, “They make homes for kids like y’all.”
The USAT Network also obtained a screen grab of a Snapchat post in which Bernstine says he is at a camp in West Virginia.
“I keep calling this kid ‘jerry’ for jerry Lewis kids,” he wrote, adding two laughing emojis.
Bernstine also has been a prolific social media user who has ignited some controversy.
Three years ago, Bernstine drew the ire of progressive groups nationwide when he retweeted a story about protesters blocking streets in St. Louis after a white police officer was acquitted of murder in the shooting death of a black man.
Bernstine added the comments, “If anyone EVER tries to stop my car on a highway with negative intentions … I will not stop under any conditions.”
Outraged Twitter users took that as a threat to run over protesters, and they flooded his account and legislative office with messages.
Bernstine, though, shrugged off the reaction, saying that it was fomented by liberal groups outside of his district and that his constituents understood that he was merely saying that he would protect his family, if necessary.
This past June, Cole, who is Black, criticized Bernstine, who is white, after he streamed a live video on his Facebook page from the House floor saying that Black Lives Matter protesters had taken over the speaker’s rostrum and were keeping the session from starting.
The protesters described and shown by Bernstine were actually black House colleagues, who unfurled a BLM banner and addressed police reform legislation.
Cole said Wednesday that she was aware of the Snapchat videos but declined to comment on them.
Peffer, though, said Bernstine’s behavior in the videos was “disgusting” and he called on the legislator to immediately resign from office.
“This just brings light to this man’s true character and he has people here fooled,” said Peffer, “and I don’t want anyone speaking for me or my family who’s capable of things like this.”
Peffer said he previously voted for Bernstine and is “baffled” by the videos.
“To be completely honest, it’s just heartbreaking to see the way he treated the kids,” Peffer said.