Election Fraud Cases

Refining Filters +

Refine by State

Refine by Disposition Year

Refine by Type of case

Refine by Type of fraud

StatePennsylvaniaYear2022NameFrancis PrestoCase TypeDiversion ProgramFraud TypeFraudulent Use Of Absentee Ballots, Impersonation Fraud At The Polls

Francis Presto of South Park, a registered Republican, requested and cast an absentee ballot on behalf of his deceased wife. He was charged with felonies for interfering with an election and unlawful use of a computer and a misdemeanor charge for forging a ballot. He was sentenced to a diversion program of 2 years and ordered to complete 250 hours of community service. His charges will be dropped upon completion of the terms of his diversion program.

Source: https://herit.ag/3ONL8BN, https://herit.ag/3P2FQT9, https://herit.ag/3OM1RoO

StatePennsylvaniaYear2022NameMelissa FisherCase TypeCriminal ConvictionFraud TypeFraudulent Use Of Absentee Ballots, Impersonation Fraud At The Polls

Melissa Fisher was charged with a misdemeanor count of violating absentee and mail-in ballot provisions after signing and submitting an absentee ballot on behalf of her deceased mother during the 2020 general election in Quakertown. She pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charge and two unrelated theft charges and was sentenced to 3 to 23 months in prison and 3 years’ probation.

Source: https://herit.ag/3A4ZlUV

StatePennsylvaniaYear2022NameCheryl MihaliakCase TypeCriminal ConvictionFraud TypeImpersonation Fraud At The Polls, Fraudulent Use Of Absentee Ballots

Cheryl Mihaliak was charged by the state in Lancaster County with two counts of forging and destroying ballots after filling out and submitting an absentee ballot on behalf of her deceased mother during the May 2022 primary election. Mihaliak had requested an absentee ballot for her and her mother (Teresa Mihaliak), as her caregiver, but her mother died on April 14 before she could fill out the ballot. However, the county board of elections received a ballot for the mother completed by her daughter on April 28. Mihaliak pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of forging and destroying ballots and was sentenced to 2 years of probation, assessed $1,610.75 in fines and fees, and is barred from voting for 4 years.

Source: https://herit.ag/46vmWwi , https://herit.ag/3MWw8mt , https://herit.ag/3GhgU7H

StatePennsylvaniaYear2021NameBruce BartmanCase TypeCriminal ConvictionFraud TypeFraudulent Use Of Absentee Ballots

Bruce Bartman was charged with falsely registering for an absentee ballot on behalf of his deceased mother and his deceased mother-in-law in the 2020 general election. A registered Republican, he used his mother’s driver license number and the last four digits of his mother-in-law’s social security number to register them as Republicans in effort to cast fraudulent ballots for Donald Trump. Bartman cast an absentee ballot in his mother’s name, but did not obtain an absentee ballot for his mother-in-law. Bartman pleaded guilty to two felony counts of perjury and one misdemeanor count of illegal voting. He was sentenced to five years’ probation, is barred from voting in any election for 4 years, and is no longer eligible to serve on a jury.

Source: bit.ly/3yojLqr, bit.ly/3fuAtM3 , bit.ly/340i2cN

StatePennsylvaniaYear2021NameRobert Richard Lynn Case TypeCriminal ConvictionFraud TypeFraudulent Use Of Absentee Ballots

Registered Republican Robert Richard Lynn was charged with a third-class misdemeanor for using his deceased mother’s credentials to cast an absentee ballot for Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election. He was sentenced to six months probation and 40 hours of community service.

Source: https://herit.ag/3Cmw4VO, https://herit.ag/3bauXN9

StatePennsylvaniaYear2019NameHarry Sandoe MaxwellCase TypeCriminal ConvictionFraud TypeFraudulent Use Of Absentee Ballots

Harry Maxwell, of Delaware County, was charged with absentee ballot fraud. In his confession, Maxwell said that he would pick up "girls" and get them to sign absentee ballots in the names of deceased indivduals. He pleaded guilty to one count of forgery, one count of false use of an absentee ballot, and two counts of criminal conspiracy, and was sentenced to two years' probation and ordered to pay $500 in fines.

Source: https://herit.ag/3zHOOgU, bit.ly/3hh6BCf

StatePennsylvaniaYear2015NameEugene GallagherCase TypeCriminal ConvictionFraud TypeFraudulent Use Of Absentee Ballots

Eugene Gallagher pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges in connection with the November 2013 election, in which he was a candidate for councilman in the Taylor Borough. He unlawfully persuaded Taylor residents and non-residents to register for absentee ballots in the election using a Taylor address. Gallagher was the top vote-getter in the election and won his first term as councilman. With his guilty plea, Gallagher can no longer hold public office. A judge sentenced him to a maximum of 10 months in jail and two months of house arrest for both his election fraud conviction and a DUI conviction. He was also sentenced to more than five years of court supervision and 200 hours of community service.

Source: https://herit.ag/3l0pZbE

StatePennsylvaniaYear2014NameRichard Allan ToneyCase TypeCriminal ConvictionFraud TypeFraudulent Use Of Absentee Ballots

The former police chief of Harmar Township, pleaded guilty to illegally soliciting absentee ballots to benefit his wife and her running mate in the 2009 Democratic primary for town council. Toney applied for the ballots, and then had them filled out illegally by individuals not expected to be absent on election day. The absentee ballot count flipped the primary results, securing a victory for Mrs. Toney's running mate. During the subsequent FBI investigation, Mr. Toney attempted to prevent witnesses, including two grand jury witnesses, from testifying. Toney was sentenced to three years' probation.

Source: https://herit.ag/3tXbxDG, https://herit.ag/3iTTE3J

StatePennsylvaniaYear2010NameDavid Patrick DuffyCase TypeCriminal ConvictionFraud TypeFraudulent Use Of Absentee Ballots

David Patrick Duffy, of Doylestown, pleaded guilty to forgery, record tampering, and making an unsworn falsification to authorities in relation to falsified voter registrations. He forged numerous individuals' signatures on fraudulent voter registrations. Duffy was sentenced to two years of probation and ordered to pay court costs.

Source: https://herit.ag/3ybqH9P, https://herit.ag/3EzxrSz

StatePennsylvaniaYear1999NameAustin MurphyCase TypeCriminal ConvictionFraud TypeFraudulent Use Of Absentee Ballots

Former Congressman Austin Murphy was convicted on one charge of absentee ballot fraud. Murphy forged ballots for senior citizens living in a nursing home, claiming merely to be assisting them in exercising their voting rights. He was sentenced to six months of probation and ordered to perform 50 hours of community service.

Source: https://herit.ag/3BOrBLR, https://herit.ag/3iSGMLl, https://herit.ag/3i71Y0V

StatePennsylvaniaYear1994Name1993 Philadelphia Special ElectionCase TypeJudicial FindingFraud TypeElection Overturned, Fraudulent Use Of Absentee Ballots

A 1993 special Pennsylvania state senate election was overturned by a federal district court judge due to absentee ballot fraud. This election was important as the senate was evenly divided and the winner would determine which party controlled the senate. Campaign workers for Democratic candidate William Stimson engaged in a massive absentee ballot scheme involving nearly 600 tainted ballots. After a surprising and extraordinary surge in absentee ballots seemed to result in a victory for Stinson, an investigation was undertaken. Stinson was indicted for his role in the scheme but was not convicted. Two campaign workers, Ramon Pratt and Barbara Landers, were convicted of misdemeanor offenses.

In a related civil suit, however, a federal district court judge determined that Stinson and others engaged in a scheme to steal the election, and Stinson was removed from office. The scheme primarily targeted Latino and black voters by using intimidation, and deception in order to fraudulently obtain and process absentee ballots in violation of state law. Two Democratic city commissioners, Margaret Tartaglione and Alexander Talmadge, Jr., and an elections supervisor, Dennis Kelly, were also found to have been complicit in allowing the fraud to occur.

Source: https://herit.ag/3kmWmR8, nyti.ms/37Iz7L4 , bit.ly/2WDw949 , https://herit.ag/3lAcK08

StatePennsylvaniaYear1994NameBarbara Landers Case TypeCriminal ConvictionFraud TypeFraudulent Use Of Absentee Ballots

Barbara Landers, a Democrat campaign worker, was involved in a massive absentee ballot scheme during the 1993 Pennsylvania special state senate election. She was convicted of 30 counts of misleading absentee voters, given a suspended sentence, and fined $1,000.

Source: https://herit.ag/3Cxo187

StatePennsylvaniaYear1994NameRamon Pratt Case TypeCriminal ConvictionFraud TypeFraudulent Use Of Absentee Ballots

Ramon Pratt, a Democrat campaign worker, was involved in a massive absentee ballot scheme during the 1993 Pennsylvania special state senate election. He pleaded guilty to 22 counts of election law violations for his role in the scheme. Pratt was sentenced to two years of probation for his involvement.

Source: https://herit.ag/2Z5MZx0

Key & Definitions

Types of Cases

Criminal Conviction

Any case that results in a defendant entering a plea of guilty or no contest, or being found guilty in court of election-related offenses.

Judicial Finding

A finding by a court of law that fraud occurred in an election, including judicial orders overturning election results or ordering a new election due to fraud.

Civil Penalty

Any civil case resulting in fines or other penalties imposed for a violation of election laws.

Official Finding

A finding by a government body that fraud occurred in an election, including orders overturning election results or ordering a new election due to fraud.

Diversion Program

Any criminal case in which a judge directs a defendant into a pre-trial diversion program, or stays or defers adjudication with the understanding that the conviction will be cleared upon completion of the program.

Types of Voter Fraud

Fraudulent Use Of Absentee Ballots

Requesting absentee ballots and voting without the knowledge of the actual voter; or obtaining the absentee ballot from a voter and either filling it in directly and forging the voter’s signature or illegally telling the voter who to vote for.

Ineligible Voting

Illegal registration and voting by individuals who are not U.S. citizens, are convicted felons, or are otherwise not eligible to vote.

Impersonation Fraud At The Polls

Voting in the name of other legitimate voters and voters who have died, moved away, or lost their right to vote because they are felons, but remain registered.

Buying Votes

Paying voters to cast either an in-person or absentee ballot for a particular candidate.

Ballot Petition Fraud

Forging the signatures of registered voters on the ballot petitions that must be filed with election officials in some states for a candidate or issue to be listed on the official ballot

Duplicate Voting

Registering in multiple locations and voting in the same election in more than one jurisdiction or state.

False Registrations

Voting under fraudulent voter registrations that either use a phony name and a real or fake address or claim residence in a particular jurisdiction where the registered voter does not actually live and is not entitled to vote.

Altering The Vote Count

Changing the actual vote count either in a precinct or at the central location where votes are counted.

Illegal "Assistance" At The Polls

Forcing or intimidating voters—particularly the elderly, disabled, illiterate, and those for whom English is a second language—to vote for particular candidates while supposedly providing them with “assistance.”