Election Fraud Cases

Clifton Eugene Mitchell

ACORN workers in Seattle committed what the Secretary of State labeled as the worst case of voter registration fraud in Washington's history. When ACORN's national office threatened to shut down the group's local office, Clifton Mitchell and his team began using fake names, addresses, birthdays, and social security numbers in order to meet their voter registration quotas. In a candid interview with CNN following his conviction, Clifton relayed how he and his fellow ACORN co-workers would take addresses from homeless shelters or use baby books and phone books to generate fake information. In total, the group submitted 1,762 fraudulent voter registration forms. Mitchell was convicted of false registrations and served nearly three months in jail. Four other ACORN workers on his team also received jail time. Additionally, prosecutors ordered ACORN to increase its oversight under threat of prosecution and fined the organization $25,000 to cover the cost of the investigation.

Source: https://herit.ag/3x7VRxA, https://herit.ag/3zDNP12, https://herit.ag/3y3BCSZ

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 Her probation was revoked and she is now serving her sentence in prison.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

Michael Zore

Michael Zore was convicted of voting twice in the November 2006 election. Zore voted in two Milwaukee-area towns, Wauwatosa and West Allis. Zore claimed his double voting was due to a memory lapse, but a judge sentenced him to serve a year in the Milwaukee County House of Correction.

Source: bit.ly/2sQdNiT

Jason Holly, Jessica Sundell, and Donahue Farrow

Jason Holly and Jessica Sundell pleaded guilty in 2006 to a felony charge of fraudulent completion of an affidavit of registration, and were sentenced to three years' probation. It was discovered that more than 100 people who thought they were signing petitions to cure breast cancer and punish child molesters were actually registering as Republicans in an elaborate vote-flipping scheme. Donahue Farrow pleaded guilty in 2008 for his involvement in this scheme. He was sentenced to 46 days in jail and three years' probation. Five others have also pleaded guilty over their involvement in this scheme.

Source: https://herit.ag/372H4cT, https://herit.ag/3iWVHE4

Roger Treskunoff

A former Hayward County school board candidate pleaded guilty to registering fictitious voters and falsifying ballot initiatives, both felonies. Treskunoff was initially charged with over 40 felonies. He was sentenced to one year in prison, followed by five years' probation.

Source: https://herit.ag/3zFebQj, https://herit.ag/3yc368U,

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

Mohsin Ali

Mohsin Ali, a non-citizen, pleaded guilty to unlawful voting by an alien. Ali was sentenced to two years' probation, and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and a $25 court fee.

Source: https://herit.ag/2WtdStB, States v. Mohsin Ali, 4:05-CR-47 (2006)

Antonio and Alycia Mendiola

Antonio and Alycia Mendiola pleaded guilty to voting in a precinct where they did not live during the 2003 East Chicago Democratic mayoral primary. Both were 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/2TBzS4i

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

Larry Battle

Larry Battle was convicted of voting in a precinct in which he did not live for the 2003 East Chicago mayoral Democratic primary election. Battle had a history of "crimes of dishonesty," prompting the judge--unpersuaded by Battle's "everybody was doing it" defense--to sentence him to two years in prison. 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/3zENhbg

Tamika Lay

Tamika Lay pleaded guilty to voting in a precinct in which she did not live for the 2003 East Chicago Democratic primary. Though she initially called the errant vote a mistake, Lay eventually admitted that she wanted to cast a vote for her brother, Terrance Lay, who was a city council candidate for a different precinct. Lay was sentenced to one year of probation. At her sentencing hearing, she expressed frustration to the judge at being held accountable for her fraudulent act. She said, "People have been doing [fraudulently voting] for years, and all of a sudden they want to do something about it." Fraud in this 2003 primary was widespread, and the Indiana Supreme Court ultimately overturned the election results and ordered a special election for the mayoral primary that resulted in a different winner.

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

Demetreos Hasapis

Demetreos Hasapis, an East Chicago Fire Department captain, was convicted of voting outside the precinct in which he lived for the 2003 East Chicago Democratic primary. He was sentenced to a 60-day jail sentence in the Lake County jail and 60 days' probation. Fraud in this 2003 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/370beO2

Randy Thompson, John Mac Combs, Phillip Champion, and Ronnie Adams

Knott County Judge-Executive Randy Thompson was sentenced to 40 months in prison for a vote buying scheme involving use of public funds to improve driveways and build bridges on private property. Judge-executive assistants Combs and Champion, as well as a former county magistrate, were also sentenced, receiving 36 months, 18 months, and 32 months, respectively.

Source: bit.ly/2eowvqc

Johnny Ray Turner

State Senator Johnny Ray Turner pleaded guilty to "non-willfully" making campaign expenditures for the purpose of influencing voters and was sentenced to three months' home detention and one year of probation.

Source: bit.ly/2eAKMNX, https://herit.ag/3BPBFE7

Michelle Robinson

Michelle Robinson pleaded guilty to 13 counts of election law violations in connection with a fraudulent voter registration scheme. Robinson worked for Operation Big Vote, an initiative aimed at boosting the participation of black voters in the 2001 St. Louis mayoral election. She submitted 13 voter registration cards made out in the names of dead former city aldermen. Robinson was simultaneously convicted on drug charges and her combined sentence was four years of probation, 180 hours of community service, and mandatory training in transcendental meditation.

Source: bit.ly/2fgTJ08