Friday, October 28, 2016

Drugs for votes. Ballots for sale. Corrupt poll workers, a magistrate, and even a NUN. Read this list of convicted voting fraudsters and ask: are you SURE the presidential election's integrity is beyond doubt?

It is an election already surrounded by questions over its integrity thanks to Republican candidate Donald Trump's refusal to promise to accept its outcome.
Claims that the public cannot trust that all votes are accurate and legal have been pushed back by the White House and by the Clinton campaign, who see it as a way to delegitimize the victory they expect in November.
And one academic's claim that there just 31 'credible' incidents of voter impersonation in one billion cast ballots - a claim made in 2014 in the Washington Post - has been posted repeatedly on social media.
But a snapshot survey of convictions for voting fraud committed in the last five years by DailyMail.com suggests that complacency about the integrity of the ballot may be misguided.
We uncovered a series of convictions. Many of them are not for voter impersonation - literally turning up at the polling place and claiming to be someone else - that has been the focus of much of the pushback.
The findings also show that many cases are dealt with by plea bargain, with the offenders pleading guilty to a reduced number of charges.
And one intriguing aspect of our findings is about where the fraudulent votes may have been directed.
None of the convictions detailed which party the fraudulent vote had been or was intended to be cast, since to attempt to find out would violate the secrecy of the ballot box.
But supporters of both parties are found on the DailyMail.com list, suggesting neither Republicans nor Democrats have reason to be complacent that the electoral system which will be put to the test on November 8 is above question.
Here are the cases we found.
BUSINESS OWNER WHO VOTED OVER AND OVER
Multiple votes: Robert Monroe voted repeatedly in three elections, one of them the recall election of Wisconsin's Republican governor Scott Walker whom he had supported
Multiple votes: Robert Monroe voted repeatedly in three elections, one of them the recall election of Wisconsin's Republican governor Scott Walker (pictured) whom he had supported
Multiple votes: Robert Monroe voted repeatedly in three elections, one of them the recall election of Wisconsin's Republican governor Scott Walker (right) whom he had supported
Milwaukee County, Wisconsin 2013. A lengthy investigation was launched into voting fraud - and six convictions followed
Robert Monroe, 52. Insurance firm owner. Shorewood, Wisconsin
Charge: 13 counts illegal voting
Conviction: Six counts of illegal voting
Sentence: Year in jail, five years probation
What happened: Cast five votes during recall election for Scott Walker in 2011, two in the 2012 presidential election and multiple times in other 2011 elections. Was said to be a supporter of Walker, the Republican governor of Wisconsin
Leonard K Brown, 56.
Charge: Six counts of illegal voting
Conviction: Five counts of illegal voting
Sentence: Nine months jail
What happened: Voted twice in 2012 presidential election, voted twice in five previous elections
Voting Chad: Gigowski got six months in jail
Voting Chad: Gigowski got six months in jail
Chad Gigowski, 28.
Charge: Three counts illegal voting
Conviction: One count illegal voting
Sentence: Six months in jail
What happened: Voted twice on the day in 2012 presidential election in two places
Andrew Shepherd, 32. Special voter registration worker
Charge: One count lying to election officials
Conviction: One count lying to election officials
Sentence: 30 days jail
What happened: Lied that he did not already have a felony record so he could be campaign worker. Registered six voters.
Engineering result: Todd Murray voted twice
Engineering result: Todd Murray voted twice
Todd Murray, 34. Engineer. West Allis, Wisconsin.
Charge: One count illegal voting
Conviction: One count illegal voting
Sentence: 90 days jail
What happened: Registered and voted on the day of 2012 election in New Berlin, then voted at his own polling place in New Berlin.
Brittany Rainey, 23.
Charge: One count illegal voting
Conviction: One count illegal voting
Sentence: 45 days jail
What happened: Voted despite existing felony record for child cruelty
VOTED EARLY, VOTED AGAIN IN HER PRECINCT
Ohio fraudster: Virginia McMillan
Ohio fraudster: Virginia McMillan
Greene County, Ohio. February 2013.
Virginia McMilllan, 56. Beavercreek, Ohio.
Charge: One count illegal voting
Conviction: One count illegal voting
Sentence: 20 days jail.
What happened: Cast an early ballot then voted in her precinct.
A POLL WORKER AND A NUN WHO USED OTHERS' VOTES
Round-up: Melowese Richardson was convicted of voting in other people's names
Round-up: Sister Marguerite Kloos was convicted of voting in a dead nun's names. Kloos had to quit her job as dean at a Catholic university
Round-up: Melowese Richardson (left) and Sister Marguerite Kloos (right) were both convicted of voting in other people's names. Kloos had to quit her job as dean at a Catholic university
Hamilton County, Ohio, 2013. 28 subpoenaed in 19 potential cases of voter fraud. Five prosecutions. Four convictions, two more arrest warrants issued.
Melowese Richardson, 58. Poll worker. Hamilton County, Ohio.
Charge: Eight counts of illegal voting
Conviction: Four counts of illegal voting
Sentence: Five years in prison. Freed after eight months.
What happened: Voted as herself, her granddaughter and her comatose sister in 2012. Her granddaughter voted again herself. Also voted for sister in 2008 and 2011. Said in her defense she would 'fight it for Mr Obama'.
Sister Marguerite Kloos, 55. Nun. Delhi Township, Ohio.
Dean of Division of Arts and Humanities at College of Mount Saint Joseph, a Catholic university in Cincinnati.
Charge: One count illegal voting
Conviction: One count illegal voting
Sentence: Probation
What happened: Voted in name of nun who had died a month before. Quit as Dean of Division of Arts and Humanities.
Russell Glassop, 76. Retired. Symmes Township, Ohio.
Charge: One count illegal voting
Conviction: One count illegal voting
Sentence: Probation
What happened: Used his dead wife's absentee ballot.
Margaret Allen, 64. Loveland. Ohio.
Charge: One count illegal voting
Conviction: One count illegal voting
Sentence: Probation
What happened: Used absentee ballot despite being Florida resident
VOTING ACROSS STATE LINES AGAIN AND AGAIN
Kansas, 2015/2016. Secretary of State Kris Kobach said up to 100 cases of double voting had been identified. Four prosecutions have been successfully brought so far.
Plea deal: Oil boss Randal Kilian pleaded to one count of illegal voting
Plea deal: Oil boss Randal Kilian pleaded to one count of illegal voting
Randal Kilian, 62. Oil company executive. Colorado.
Charge: Three counts illegal voting
Conviction: One count illegal voting
Sentence: $2,500 fine
What happened: Voted in Kansas and Colorado in 2012 election, caught by multi-state database
Ron Weems, 77. Retired. Wichita, Kansas.
Charge: Five counts related to voting fraud
Conviction: Two counts voting without being qualified, one count unlawful advance voting
Sentence: $5,500 fine
What happened: Voted in Wichita and Teller County, Colorado, in both 2012 and 2014 elections
Another plea: Steven Gaedtke was charged with three counts and accepted guilt on one
Another plea: Steven Gaedtke was charged with three counts and accepted guilt on one
Steven Gaedtke. USAF Vietnam veteran. Yelville, Arkansas.
Charge: Three counts illegal voting
Conviction: One count illegal voting
Sentence: $500 fine
What happened: Got early voting paper in Kansas despite living in Arkansas - and used it.
Michael Hannum, 64. Omaha, Nebraska.
Charge: Four counts illegal voting
Conviction: Three counts illegal voting
Sentence: $5,500 fine
What happened: Voted in both Johnson County, Kansas, and Nebraska in 2012 election
ABSENTEE BALLOTS FILLED IN BY CAMPAIGNER
Felon: Samuel Jean filled in ballots
Felon: Samuel Jean filled in ballots
Samuel Jean, 43. Campaign worker. Homestead, Florida.
Charge: Two felony counts of unlawfully marking ballot
Conviction: No contest to two felony counts of unlawfully marking ballot
Sentence: Probation, no conviction on official record
What happened: Filled in absentee ballots during 2013 mayoral election in Homestead
CONGRESSMAN'S TOP AIDE AND THE 1,800 BALLOTS
Fake the vote: Jeffrey Garcia was chief of staff to Joe Garcia, the unrelated Democratic Congressman, when he was involved in a bid to have 1,800 absentee ballot requests made for voters who had not asked for them
Fake the vote: Jeffrey Garcia was chief of staff to Joe Garcia (pictured), the unrelated Democratic Congressman, when he was involved in a bid to have 1,800 absentee ballot requests made for voters who had not asked for them
Fake the vote: Jeffrey Garcia (left) was chief of staff to Joe Garcia (right), the unrelated Democratic Congressman, when he was involved in a bid to have 1,800 absentee ballot requests made for voters who had not asked for them
Jeffrey Garcia, 41. Chief of staff to Congressman Joe Garcia. Miami-Dade County, Florida.
Charge: Election fraud Conviction: Election fraud
Sentence: 90 day jail, banned from political campaign work or volunteering
What happened: Directed campaign for Congressman Joe Garcia (D) to submit 1,800 absentee-ballot requests on behalf of unsuspecting voters.


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