Election Fraud Cases
Details
James "Darrell" Jackson, a Monroe County Constable, was charged by the state with one felony count of engaging in organized crime and 5 felony counts of making or receiving expenditures for voting after participating in a conspiracy by the Jackson family scheme to bribe voters or obtain blank ballots from registered voter during the 2022 Republican primary election to help secure his election as Monroe County Jailor. Jackson conspired with at least six others in his scheme. After a tip was submitted to the Attorney General's Election Fraud Hotline, an investigation was started and uncovered the fraud. Jackson pleaded guilty to all charges and was sentenced to 6 years, with 5 years suspended pending successful completion of probation.
Source: herit.ag/4dYrsZg , herit.ag/3X0k89e
Details
Tommy McClendon, of Tompkinsville, was charged by the state with four felony counts of making or receiving expenditures for voting after his participation in a conspiracy by the Jackson family to bribe voters or obtain blank ballots from registered voters to help elect James "Darrell" Jackson, a Monroe County Constable, to the position of Monroe County Jailor during the 2022 Republican primary election. He pleaded guilty to all counts and entered a pretrial diversion program for a period of 5 years.
Source: herit.ag/4dYrsZg , herit.ag/3X0k89e
Details
Leslie Jackson, of Barren County, was charged by the state with one felony count of wrongful registration after her participation in a conspiracy by the Jackson family to bribe voters or obtain blank ballots from registered voters to help elect James "Darrell" Jackson, a Monroe County Constable, to the position of Monroe County Jailor, during the 2022 Republican primary election. The fraud was uncovered after a tip was submitted to the Attorney General's Election Fraud Hotline. Jackson pleaded guilty to the felony charge and was sentenced to one year, suspended for a period of five years pending successful completion of probation.
Source: herit.ag/4dYrsZg , herit.ag/3X0k89e
Details
Mary Jackson, of Tompkinsville was charged by the state with one felony count of engaging in organized crime, one felony count of second degree forgery, and six felony counts of making or receiving expenditures for voting after her participation in a conspiracy by the Jackson family to bribe voters or obtain blank ballots from registered voters to help elect James "Darrell" Jackson, a Monroe County Constable, to the position of Monroe County Jailor during the 2022 Republican primary election. The fraud was uncovered after a tip was submitted to the Attorney General's Election Fraud Hotline. Jackson pleaded guilty to all charges and was sentenced to six years, suspended for a period of five years pending successful completion of probation.
Source: herit.ag/4dYrsZg , herit.ag/3X0k89e
Details
Gloria Lopez Torres, a San Luis City Councilwoman, was charged by the state with felony counts of conspiracy and ballot abuse after trafficking absentee ballots during the August 2020 primary election as part of a larger ballot harvesting scheme. Torres picked up 7 ballots from Nadia Lizarraga-Mayorquin (who was also charged and convicted) and put them into a drop box in 2020. Arizona law only permits family members and close relatives to do this. Torres pleaded guilty to one count of ballot abuse and was sentenced to 24 months of probation and fined $2,500. She may not run or be appointed to public office again, but she was allowed to finish her current term ending in December 2024.
Source: herit.ag/4aFU4Vw , herit.ag/4aK3Mq0 , herit.ag/3NOw8p0 , herit.ag/3tEqRcL
Details
Nadia Guadalupe Lizarraga-Mayorquin "Buchanan"
Nadia Lizarraga-Mayorquin (aka Nadia Buchanan) of San Luis was charged by the state with felony counts of conspiracy and ballot abuse after trafficking absentee ballots during the August 2020 Primary election as part of a larger ballot harvesting scheme. Arizona law only permits family members and close relatives to do this. Lizarraga-Mayorquin trafficked at least 7 ballots to Gloria Lopez and at least one ballot herself from a third party. She pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of ballot abuse and was sentenced to 24 months of probation and fined $2,500.
Source: herit.ag/47nHwiw , herit.ag/3vtrbeS , herit.ag/47nHEP2 , herit.ag/3S5dfke
Details
Shakir Khan, a Lodi City Councilman, was charged by the state with 14 felony counts for voter registration fraud in connection with the 2020 Lodi City Council Election in which he defeated three opponents including the incumbent by 282 votes. Khan was charged with causing false voter registration, one count of false registration of fictitious person/person not requesting registration, 7 counts of subscription of fictitious name to nomination petition, 2 counts of false nomination/declaration of candidacy, one count of procuring/assisting/counseling/advising another not qualified to vote, and one count of aiding and abetting commission of fraudulent voting. An investigation by the San Joaquin Sheriff’s office discovered 41 sealed and completed mail-in ballots when searching his home, and a citizen looking into the voter rolls discovered 71 names registered to Khan's address, phone number, or email. Khan took advantage of members of the Pakistani community with his election fraud misconduct. Khan, who resigned from his position, was also charged with illegal gambling, tax evasion, unemployment fraud and other charges, for a total of 77 criminal charges against him (71 felonies and 6 misdemeanors). Khan pleaded no contest to all 77 charges including the 14 felony election fraud charges and is awaiting sentencing.
Source: herit.ag/4e1uNa0 , herit.ag/3yMFJYG , herit.ag/4aEH9BN , herit.ag/3KiXwcC , herit.ag/4aEBfAW , herit.ag/4dXdkiX
Details
Bridgeport Municipal Mayoral Democratic Primary 2023 Election
The results of the City of Bridgeport, Connecticut Democratic mayoral primary election, which was held on September 12, 2023, were overturned due to absentee ballot fraud in an election where only 251 votes separated the winner (Joseph Ganim) and the loser (John Gomes). Superior Court Judge William Clark ordered that a new primary election between Ganim (the party-endorsed candidate) and Gomes (the challenger) should be held because an unusually large number of absentee ballots that were counted had been illegally placed in drop boxes by two unauthorized ballot distributors who were Ganim supporters: Wanda Geter-Pataky (a Democratic Town Committee member and the Leader of Voting District 136) and Eneida Martinez (a candidate for City Council). The court determined that videos of Geter-Pataky and Martinez illegally dropping off stacks of votes into various drop boxes “provided evidence of ballot harvesting, in violation of state law.” Geter-Pataky made 10 drops either directly or indirectly, and Martinez made 5 separate drops of multiple ballots. The court also found “the volume of ballots mishandled is such it calls the result of the primary election in serious doubt and unable to determine the legitimate result of the primary.”
Source: herit.ag/3TBYUNy
Details
Robert Rivernider Jr., a Republican Party activist and Donald Trump supporter, was charged by the state in Sumter County with 3 felony counts forgery of public records, fraud in connection with casting a vote, and passing a counterfeit instrument after submitting an absentee ballot that was not his own during the 2020 General Election. Rivernider forged his deceased father's signature on an absentee ballot and mailed it in. The Sumter County Election Supervisor noticed a discrepancy in the signature and found it was similar to Rivernider's own signature. He was convicted by a jury and is awaiting sentencing.
Source: herit.ag/3RO7qaJ , herit.ag/3tjyntD
Details
Christopher Coyle, the former Clark County Clerk Democratic candidate and former chairman of the Clark County Democratic Party, was charged by the state with 3 felony counts of filing a fraudulent report, voting outside precinct, and address change violation, after falsely claiming his residency in Clark County and voting during the 2022 election. He filed a false report with the Clark County Clerk's Office claiming he lived in Memphis despite having sold his home and not updated his driver's license or voter registration to reflect the fact that he was now living in Louisville, Kentucky. He then voted in person in Sellersburg on Election Day. He admitted the conduct and entered into a diversion agreement. The charges were dropped upon completion of the program.
Source: herit.ag/3NC4D1W , herit.ag/3RQ1Ch2 , herit.ag/3RRNCDi
Details
Bonnie McClendon, of Tompkinsville, was charged by the state with one felony count of first degree perjury and two felony counts of making or receiving expenditures for voting after her participation in a conspiracy by the Jackson family to bribe voters or obtain blank ballots from registered voters to help elect James "Darrell" Jackson, a Monroe County Constable, to the position of Monroe County Jailor during the 2022 Republican primary election. She pleaded guilty to all charges and entered a pretrial diversion program for 5 years.
Source: herit.ag/4dYrsZg , herit.ag/3X0k89e
Details
Lisa Jackson, of Mount Hernon, was charged by the state with one felony count of engaging in organized crime, 17 felony counts of making or receiving expenditures for voting, and one count of first degree persistent felony offender after her participation in a conspiracy by the Jackson family to bribe voters or obtain blank ballots from registered voters to help elect James "Darrell" Jackson, a Monroe County Constable, to the position of Monroe County Jailor during the 2022 Republican primary election. The fraud was uncovered after a tip was submitted to the Attorney General's Election Fraud Hotline. She pleaded guilty to all counts and was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Source: herit.ag/4dYrsZg , herit.ag/3X0k89e
Details
Sherrye Jackson, of Tompkinsville, was charged by the state with one felony count of engaging in organized crime and one felony count of first degree perjury after her participation in a conspiracy by the Jackson family to bribe voters or obtain blank ballots from registered voters to help elect James "Darrell" Jackson, a Monroe County Constable, to the position of Monroe County Jailor, during the 2022 Republican primary election. The fraud was uncovered after a tip was submitted to the Attorney General's Election Fraud Hotline. Jackson, who had prior felony convictions on her record, pleaded guilty to her felony charges and entered a pretrial diversion program for 5 years.
Source: herit.ag/4dYrsZg , herit.ag/3X0k89e
Details
Nancy Williams was charged by the state in Wayne County with 3 felony counts of forging a signature on an absentee ballot, 2 felony counts of election law forgery, 5 misdemeanor counts of false statements on applications for absentee ballots, and 7 misdemeanor counts of receiving a payment to influence vote after participating in an absentee ballot trafficking scheme involving elderly voters at a nursing care facility. She submitted voter registration and absentee ballot applications for 26 legally incapacitated residents under her care without their consent. Williams had the absentee ballots mailed directly to her. She pleaded guilty to 7 counts of receiving a payment to influence vote in exchange for dismissal of the other charges, was sentenced to one year of probation, fined $3,500, and assessed $1,096 in fees. Similar charges against Williams in Oakland County are still pending.
Source: herit.ag/3EHTtE1 , herit.ag/3rdlfVE
Details
Jason Schofield, a Republican Elections Commissioner for Rensselaer County Board of Elections in Troy, New York, was federally charged with 12 felony counts of unlawful possession and use of a means of identification of another person to fraudulently request, complete, and submit absentee ballots on behalf of voters during the 2021 Rensselaer County Primary and General elections. Schofield, and other Rensselaer election board employees working under his direction, used the New York State Board of Elections website to request absentee ballots on behalf of 8 voters using their names and dates of birth. These individuals had either no interest in voting absentee or otherwise, did not request absentee ballots or assistance to vote or obtain an absentee ballot, or did not know Schofield was using their personal information. Schofield personally obtained 4 absentee ballots knowing that the county board of elections records would falsely reflect the ballots were mailed to the voters via USPS. For the other 4 voters, Schofield completed the ballots and brought the ballots to the voters, instructed them to sign the ballot envelopes, which were submitted in the elections. Schofield pleaded guilty to all 12 felony charges He has resigned from his position as Commissioner of the Rensselaer County Board of Elections as part of his plea agreement and is ordered to pay an assessment of $1,200 at the time of sentencing. He faces a maximum of 5 years in prison and fines of $250,000 and cannot accept reappointment to the Board of Elections as long as he is on probation or supervised release.
Source: herit.ag/3RZwHxk , herit.ag/3HV4i6Y , herit.ag/3HUe74Z , herit.ag/3RSEZa9
Key & Definitions
Types of Cases
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.
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.
Any civil case resulting in fines or other penalties imposed for a violation of election laws.
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.
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
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.
Illegal registration and voting by individuals who are not U.S. citizens, are convicted felons, or are otherwise not eligible to vote.
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.
Paying voters to cast either an in-person or absentee ballot for a particular candidate.
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
Registering in multiple locations and voting in the same election in more than one jurisdiction or state.
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.
Changing the actual vote count either in a precinct or at the central location where votes are counted.
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.”
