Election Fraud Cases

Allan "Twig" Simmons

Allan "Twig" Simmons, an operative for the Chicago mayor's campaign, was charged with three counts of attempted obstruction of justice and six counts of ballot fraud after persuading individuals to let him fill out their absentee ballots in exchange for jobs. He pleaded guilty to three counts of fraudulent application, showing, examination, receipt or delivery of ballots. He was sentenced to 3 years' probation and 100 hours of community service. Fraud in the 2003 East Chicago mayoral primary was widespread, and the Indiana Supreme Court ultimately overturned the election results and ordered a special election for the mayoral race that resulted in a different winner.

Source: https://herit.ag/3rANV6V

Tonya Griffin-Bronaugh

Tonya Griffin-Bronaugh, the sister of Terrance Lay, pleaded guilty to filling out and signing an application for an absentee ballot in the name of her former husband without his knowledge in connection with the 2003 East Chicago Democratic primary. Her brother was a city council candidate in that election. Griffin-Bronaugh was sentenced to 18 months of probation. Fraud in this 2003 mayoral primary was widespread, and the Indiana Supreme Court ultimately overturned the election results and ordered a special election for the mayoral race that resulted in a different winner.

Source: https://herit.ag/376jzzA

Edward Pinkney

Following a jury trial, Reverand Edward Pinkney of Benton Harbor was found guilty of possessing other individuals' absentee ballots and buying votes in a 2005 runoff election. At a local soup kitchen, Pinkney would pay $5 to each poor or homeless person who would fill out an absentee ballot.

Source: https://herit.ag/2Wi17BW

Ike Brown

In a civil case filed by the federal government, Ike Brown, former Chairman of the Noxubee County Democratic Executive Committee and Superintendent of Democratic Primary Elections, was found to have violated Section Two of the Voting Rights Act through racially motivated manipulation of ballots. Brown, who started chairing the Commission in 2000, obtained and improperly counted defective absentee ballots, and allowed for improper "assistance" of voters to ensure that white political candidates lost and black candidates won. He was permanently enjoined from engaging in such conduct in the future, and an independent administrator was appointed to ensure compliance.

Source: https://herit.ag/3iOfZzE , https://herit.ag/3i8YZoQ, https://herit.ag/3l6sp8L

Martha Gardner

Martha Gardner pleaded guilty to one count of voter fraud in connection with absentee ballot misconduct during the 2005 Houston mayoral Democratic primary. Witnesses alleged that Gardner had come to them with absentee ballots they did not request and marked the ballots for them. Gardner was initially indicted on 37 counts of voter fraud. A judge imposed a five-year suspended sentence and put Gardner on 30 months of probation. Gardner was also ordered to pay $391.50 in court costs, $100 of which would go to the Crime Victim's Compensation Fund.

Source: https://herit.ag/3j9Zgan

Raymond Villarreal

Raymond Villarreal, the then-County Commissioner of Refugio, pleaded guilty to charges related to a scheme to rig the absentee vote in his favor during his 2006 primary race for commissioner. Villarreal first had registered voters request absentee ballots, but then routed the ballots to known supporters who would vote for Villarreal. He then had the original applicants sign the ballots. He was sentenced to 90 days in the county jail and given five years of probation. He was also ordered to complete 300 hours of community service and pay $2,500 in fines. Villarreal was forced to resign.

Source: https://herit.ag/3zH53L3

Ben Cooper and 14 co-conspirators

Former Appalachia mayor Ben Cooper and 14 others were convicted of voter fraud after conspiring to manipulate the 2004 elections in his town by buying the votes of residents, offering them cigarettes, beer, and pork rinds. He and his supporters also stole absentee ballots from the mail. This was the largest voter fraud conspiracy to date in Virginia. Cooper was sentenced to 10 years in prison, but the term was suspended after he served two years in jail and another two years in electronic home monitoring detention. Most of the other 14 defendants received suspended sentences or house arrest.

Source: https://herit.ag/3jY1St9, https://herit.ag/3EmHZnf

Kimberly Prude

Kimberly Prude, a campaign volunteer for the Kerry_Edwards campaign, was convicted of illegally casting an absentee ballot in the 2004 election. She was already a convicted felon for forgery charges in 2000. Her probation was revoked and she is now serving her sentence in prison.

Source: bit.ly/2tQMkfi

Winston Keyes

Winston Keyes, of Denver, Colorado, pleaded guilty to voting twice in the 2005 general election. He forged his mother's signature on her absentee ballot, despite the fact that his mother had died in July of that year. He was sentenced to one year of probation and was ordered to pay court costs.

Source: https://herit.ag/3zFecnl, https://herit.ag/3ybqFyJ

Eduardo Perez, Sr.

Eduardo Perez, Sr., pleaded guilty to fraudulently receiving an absentee ballot in connection to the 2003 East Chicago mayoral Democrat primary. He was sentenced to 18 months of probation. Fraud in this 2003 mayoral primary was widespread, and the Indiana Supreme Court ultimately overturned the election results and ordered a special election that resulted in a different winner.

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

Isabel Rios Gonzalez

Isabel Rios Gonzalez, of Nueces County, entered a plea of nolo contendere to two counts of "possessing of an official ballot or carrier envelope of another." In a 2005 school district election, she targeted the elderly by going door-to-door to obtain votes, and then took the ballots to the post office for mailing. She was sentenced to one year of deferred adjudication, 12 months of community supervision, and was ordered to pay a $500 fine. She conspired to engage in vote harvesting with Virginia Ramos Garza, Elida Garza Flores, and Josefina Marinas Suarez, all of whom were charged and ultimately admitted into diversion programs or received deferred adjudications.

Source: Case No. 05-CR-9808-3 (Information obtained from the Office of the Attorney General of Texas), bit.ly/2GT3PVA

Anita Baeza

Anita Baeza was given six months of pre-trial diversion after she was charged with five counts of illegally possessing another's ballot during the 2004 primary.

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

Willie J. Ray, Jamillah Johnson

Willie Ray, a Texarkana Ward 2 City Councilwoman, and Jamillah Johnson pleaded guilty to fraudulent use of absentee ballots during the 2004 general election. The two women illegally assisted elderly and other voters in submitting applications for mail-in ballots, then collected and mailed in the completed ballots for the voters. This assistance is a Class B misdemeanor under Texas law. The judge fined Willie Ray $200 and sentenced her to eight months of probation. Jamillah Johnson received a $200 fine and six months of probation.

Source: bit.ly/2fcgEMG, bit.ly/2f26dIi

Melinda Hunter

Melinda Hunter was indicted on seven counts of illegally possessing and transporting ballots not belonging to her. Hunter illegally assisted elderly voters in preparing their ballots. She was placed in a six-month pre-trial diversion program.

Source: https://herit.ag/3l1INHv

Josefina Marinas Suarez

Josefina Marinas Suarez pleaded guilty to a charge of handling an official ballot belonging to another. During the 2005 Robstown school district election Suarez targeted elderly voters, soliciting votes and returning the absentee ballots herself. Under Texas law, she was not permitted to handle or transport absentee ballots. Suarez was sentenced to one year of deferred adjudication probation and a $500 fine.

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