Election Fraud Cases

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

Arch Turner

Arch Turner, the Breathitt County School Superintendent, pleaded guilty to conspiracy, admitting to handing out money to buy votes in a 2010 election. He was sentenced to two years in prison and fined $250,000 for his role in directing a vote-buying scheme.

Source: https://herit.ag/372GU5h

Naomi Johnson, Jackie Jennings, and Earl Young

Three Jackson residents were convicted in a vote buying scheme in a 2010 magistrate's race where they tried to control the outcome of the primary election. Johnson and Young were sentenced to four months in prison for conspiring to buy votes and vote buying. Jennings was sentenced to two months in prison for vote buying and conspiracy.

Source: bit.ly/2fiA3b8

Michael Salyers

In 2012, Michael Salyers, a former Brethitt County magistrate candidate, was sentenced to two months in jail, six months in home confinement, and ordered to perform 120 hours of community service for buying votes during his campaign. He admitted to paying people $25 to vote for him.

Source: https://herit.ag/3y7GZAI, https://herit.ag/3rAZtH8

Stephen "Stat" Smith

Former State Representative Stephen Smith pleaded guilty to two counts of voter fraud in a scheme in which he obtained absentee ballots for ineligible voters and, in some cases, cast their ballots without their knowledge. He was sentenced to four months in prison, a year of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $20,000 fine.

Source: https://herit.ag/2TBqr4U, https://herit.ag/3rANVnr

Paul Schurick and Julius Henson

Paul Schurick, the former Campaign Manager to Maryland Governor Robert Ehrlich, was convicted of election fraud after approving a robocall to black voters telling them not to vote because the Democrats had already won the 2010 gubernatorial election. A Circuit Court Judge spared Schurick jail time, opting to sentence him to 30 days' home detention, four years of probation, and 500 hours of community service. Julius Henson was also convicted on one count of conspiracy to violate election law for his part in recording the robocall. A Circuit Court judge sentenced Henson to 60 days in jail and ordered him to complete 300 hours of community service.

Source: https://herit.ag/376jETU, https://herit.ag/3rPtDa1, bit.ly/2fFfKc4

Lorianne O'Brady, Don Yowchuang, and Paul Seewald

Former staff members for U.S. Representative Thaddeus McCotter created fake nominating petitions for his short-lived 2012 presidential campaign. Lorianne O'Brady pleaded no contest to falsely signing a nominating petition, and was sentenced to 20 days in either prison or a work program, as well as paying $2,625. Don Yowchuang pleaded no contest to 10 counts of forgery and six counts of falsely signing a nominating petition as a circulator, and received three years' probation and 200 hours of community service. Paul Seewald pleaded guilty to nine counts of falsely signing a nominating petition, and received 100 hours of community service and three years' probation.

Source: https://herit.ag/2Ww4fdP

Jason Bauer and Mike McGuinness

Former Oakland County Democratic Party officials, Jason Bauer and Mike McGuinness, were charged with election fraud for trying to put a fake Tea Party candidate on the ballot in order to dilute the Republican vote. Bauer pleaded no contest and was sentenced to one year probation and $2,600 in fines. McGuinness pleaded no contest to perjury and forgery, and received one year probation, 180 hours of community service, and $1,965 in fines.

Source: https://herit.ag/2WqExHw, https://herit.ag/371lUvV, https://herit.ag/3eYmKh1

Murdock Francis McLeod, Jr.

Murdock Francis McLeod, Jr., of Duluth, Minnesota, pleaded guilty to voting while ineligible. He voted in the November 2008 election, despite the fact that his civil rights had not been restored after a prior felony conviction. McLeod was sentenced to two years' probation, forty hours' community service, and a total of $135 in fees and fines.

Source: https://herit.ag/3rB1IdJ, Case #69DU-CR-11-1912

Alfreda Bowman

Alfreda Bowman, a convicted felon, pleaded guilty to a charge of voting in an election even though she was ineligible to do so. She received a stay of adjudication which included 40 hours of community service and one year of probation.

Source: https://herit.ag/3EhH1IH, https://herit.ag/2ZkXSeA

Ryan Richard Halvorson

Ryan Richard Halvorson pleaded guilty to the charge of registering an ineligible voter. Halvorson had registered and voted in the 2008 presidential election despite being a convicted felon, and therefore ineligible. He was ordered to pay $430 in court costs.

Source: bit.ly/2t9WtBO, bit.ly/2ue96kq

Matthew John Kluck

Matthew John Kluck pleaded guilty to knowingly voting despite being ineligible. He had previously been convicted of identity theft, and therefore not eligible to vote in the 2008 presidential election. Kluck was ordered $430 in court costs.

Source: https://herit.ag/3zEfUp2, Case No. 19HA-CR-11-3909

Michael Patrick McAlpin

Michael Patrick McAlpin was charged with registering while ineligible to vote in relation to the November 2008 election. He had previously been convicted for failing to register as a predatory offender and violated his probation by registering to vote. He was ordered to pay $430 in court fees.

Source: https://herit.ag/2UTbQT6, Case #19HA-CR-11-3868

Horatio Johnson

Horatio Johnson was charged with felony election fraud for voting in the November 2008 election despite having pleaded guilty in August of that year to a felony drug charge. Prosecutors allowed Johnson to plead guilty to a reduced charge of misdemeanor obstruction of justice for his ineligible voting. He was given a 120 days' suspended sentence and unsupervised probation. Johnson's attorney argued that his client's case was an example of why North Carolina needed voter ID laws, since without them, "[a]nyone can vote."

Source: https://herit.ag/375VRU5, https://herit.ag/3CxHg1k, https://herit.ag/3BMx6KV

Samuel Ojuri, Joshua Colville, Marcus Williams, Brendin Pierre, Lucas Albers, Aireal Boyd, Demitrius Gray, Bryan Shepherd, Antonio Rogers, and Charles Smith III.

Ten players on the North Dakota State football team, who had been hired to collect signatures for ballot petitions establishing a conservation fund and legalizing medical marijuana, each pleaded guilty to misdemeanor election fraud charges, admitting that rather than gathering signatures, they forged them. Each player was sentenced to 360 days of unsupervised community service, 50 hours of community service, and $325 in fines.

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