Election Fraud Cases

Christopher Coyle

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

Troy Kemper, James Barlett

Troy Kemper was charged by the state in Dearborn County with one felony count each of perjury and fraudulent subscription of another person's name after his involvement in an absentee ballot trafficking scheme during the Lawrenceburg 2019 General Election. Kemper was charged for his role in submitting fraudulent absentee ballot applications and ballots along with his co-conspirator James Bartlett. The fraud was detected by the Election Board because the signatures on the original voter registration forms did not match the signatures on the absentee ballot applications and absentee ballots, and after contacting 20 voters, learned they did not apply for an absentee ballot or permit Kemper to turn in their ballot. In exchange for agreeing to testify truthfully against James Bartlett and the state dismissing the fraudulent subscription charge, Kemper pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of perjury and was sentenced to 365 days with 363 days suspended, and he was assessed court costs and filing fees of $210.

Source: herit.ag/3XoQ4Rj , herit.ag/3HPWEdK , herit.ag/3HZrrov

James Bartlett, Troy Kemper

James Bartlett was charged by the state in Dearborn County with one felony count each of perjury and fraudulent subscription of another person's name after his involvement in an absentee ballot trafficking scheme during the Lawrenceburg 2019 General Election. Bartlett, a former City of Lawrenceburg employee, worked with co-conspirator Troy Kemper to fill out fraudulent absentee ballot applications and absentee ballots. The fraud was detected by the Election Board because the signatures on the original voter registration forms did not match the signatures on the absentee ballot applications and the absentee ballots, and after contacting 20 voters, learned they did not apply for an absentee ballot or permit Kemper to turn in their ballot. Bartlett pleaded guilty to one felony count of conspiracy of fraudulent subscription and was sentenced to 910 days in prison, which was suspended if he completes one year of probation without violation. He was also ordered to complete 40 hours of community service and fined and assessed court costs of $1,285. Upon completion of his probation, his felony charge will be reduced to a misdemeanor. 

Source: herit.ag/3HVQ99l , herit.ag/3HTrl1X , herit.ag/3RXuAdp

Janet Reed

Janet Reed, an Evansville Democratic Party activist, was charged by the state with one count of unauthorized absentee ballot, a felony offense. Reed sent illegally pre-marked absentee ballots applications to voters ahead of the 2020 primary election. Reed filled out the applications by pre-selecting the Democrat Party where voters were supposed to choose a Republican or Democratic primary ballot. Reed included instructions that the section in question "needs no input." Reed kept sending the pre-marked applications even after receiving warnings from election officials and the Democrat Party. Reed pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 18 months’ probation and ordered to pay restitution of $2,740 and court costs of $925. She was also barred from working on any elections during her probation. The court indicated that it would consider reducing the charge to a misdemeanor upon successful completion of probation.

Source: https://herit.ag/3VkpWGF, https://herit.ag/3TZLNlu, https://herit.ag/3Vmv4dc

Max Judson

Max Judson was convicted of election fraud and witness tampering during the 2014 primary election. While a candidate for city council during the election, he admitted that he solicited someone he knew not to be a resident of the district to cast an absentee ballot. He also admitted that when he realized he was being investigated, he attempted to intervene and deter the voter from communicating with law enforcement. He was sentenced to one year and one day in prison in addition to one year of supervised release and a $500 fine. He was also forced to resign from his seat on the Sullivan County Council.

Source: https://herit.ag/374MQLa, https://herit.ag/3zJOWfw, https://herit.ag/3rANWaM, bit.ly/2pL2u9h

Jerome Kesler

Jerome "J.D." Kesler was living in Illinois from 2010 to 2014, but continued to vote from an Indiana address. Following an investigation by the Indiana State Police, he was charged with two class D felonies for voting outside his precinct of residence. In November of 2017, he entered into a plea deal of a one-year suspended jail sentence and informal probation.

Source: https://herit.ag/3iRXQkn, https://herit.ag/3BGBfjz

Lowell "Ross" Colen

Lowell "Ross" Colen, a 10-year veteran of the Rising Sun Police Department, was forced to resign after pleading guilty to four counts of felony voter fraud. Colen was accused of illegally trying to help his father win election to the Rising Sun City Council by completing absentee voter applications and filling out ballots for people who were not eligible to vote in the county, and in some cases forging signatures. Colen evidently conducted some of this illegal activity while in uniform and on duty. He pleaded guilty to four counts of felony vote fraud and was sentenced to concurrently serve one year in prison and 185 days' probation.

Source: bit.ly/2mlTkMl, bit.ly/2l07BNH, bit.ly/2lpehs4

Doug Campbell

Austin Mayor Doug Campbell faced voter fraud charges that he illegally accepted absentee ballots from voters and filled out a woman's incomplete ballot. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor electioneering in exchange for prosecutors agreeing to dismiss the felony voter fraud and conspiracy charges, which enabled him to remain in office.

Source: https://herit.ag/3fl9tj9, https://herit.ag/3xbrtlQ

Paul Etheridge

Paul Etheridge, former New Albany mayoral candidate in the Democratic primary, was charged with voter fraud for endorsing a ballot of someone he knew to be ineligible in the May 2011 Democratic mayoral primary in New Albany, Indiana. He pleaded guilty to Forgery of Official Ballot Endorsement and received a suspended 18-month sentence.

Source: https://herit.ag/3rDnxt4

Michael Marshall

Michael Marshall, a Jennings County Democratic Party worker, pleaded guilty to three counts of vote fraud relating to applications for absentee ballots for his son, brother, and former roommate. Marshall was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Source: https://herit.ag/3i5A5Gj

Butch Morgan, Jr.

Former St. Joseph County Democratic Chairman Butch Morgan, Jr. was sentenced to one year of prison after being convicted of felony charges stemming from a plot to forge signatures on the petition to place Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton on the Indiana Democratic Primary ballot in 2008. Morgan, along with multiple co-conspirators from the Board of Voter Registration, forged over 200 signatures. A Yale University junior, Ryan Nees, discovered the fraud, noting "page after page of signatures are all the same handwriting." The forgery was overlooked during the primary process "because election workers in charge of verifying their validity were the same people faking the signatures."

Source: https://herit.ag/3iQE493

Pam Brunette, Beverly Shelton, Dustin Blythe

Pam Brunette, Beverly Shelton, and Dustin Blythe worked with Butch Morgan (see prior entry) to forge over 200 signatures on the petition to enter Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton into the Indiana Democratic Primary. A Yale University junior, Ryan Nees, discovered the fraud, noting "page after page of signatures are all the same handwriting." The forgery was overlooked during the primary process "because election workers in charge of verifying their validity were the same people faking the signatures." Brunette, a board member on the St. Joseph County Board of Voter Registration Democratic, and Shelton, a board worker, both received two years of probation in exchange for their testimony against Morgan. The judge sentenced Dustin Blythe, a board worker and Democrat volunteer, to one year in Community Corrections and probation.

Source: https://herit.ag/2Vf1CfA

John Cook

John Cook, of Jennings County, pleaded guilty to perjury after he was arrested in connection with absentee ballot fraud. He was sentenced to 545 days' imprisonment, with one year of that time suspended.

Source: http://bit.ly/1S18hf1, (Case #40C01-1110-FC-000421)

Joshua Clemons

Joshua Clemons was charged with voter fraud for completing two absentee ballots for people he knew to be ineligible in the May 2011 Democratic Primary. He pleaded guilty to fraudulent delivery of ballots and received a suspended 18-month sentence.

Source: https://herit.ag/3x6wQmn

Christopher Marshall

Christopher Marshall, of Jennings County, pleaded guilty to deception in a case involving absentee ballot fraud. His father, Michael Marshall, was working on a mayoral re-election campaign and was responsible for soliciting absentee ballot voters. He recruited his son and another individual (John Cook) to assist him. Christopher Marshall was ordered to pay court costs and fees, a fine, and restitution totaling $212.

Source: https://herit.ag/3zBqM70, (Case #40C01-1110-FC-000420)