New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin has charged Democratic campaign strategist James Devine with election fraud. Platkin accuses Devine of sending over 1,900 fraudulent ballots to help Lisa McCormick secure a berth in the 2021 gubernatorial primary.
In April of 2021, Devine, who was the campaign manager for McCormick in 2021, allegedly emailed the New Jersey Secretary of State’s Division of Elections with fraudulent voter certifications.
Platkin stated that the New Jersey State Committee contested Devine’s submission of the fraudulent ballots, citing the consistent handwriting of the signatures he provided and the fact that one of the electors was deceased.
After reviewing the situation, the judge removed McCormick from the primary ballot. The Daily Caller reported that Devine has been charged with third-degree offenses for tampering with nomination certificates and public records and fourth-degree offenses for falsifying or tampering with records.
Longtime Dem Campaign Strategist Hit With Election Fraud Charges
James Devinehttps://t.co/s9i9NM8k4f pic.twitter.com/SxHSDN4TOL— Retired NCO (@virgofiveeight) May 3, 2023
Thomas Eicher, executive director of the New Jersey Office of Public Integrity and Accountability, stated, “Fraudulent acts like this erode faith in our government and the rule of law, and there must be consequences.”
Devine faces more than five years in prison if he is convicted.
On Twitter, Devine responded: “My political adversaries pounced on a mistake because they want to intimidate anyone with the temerity to challenge this incredibly corrupt system & I have been a pain in the ass to powerful people. I hope this does not stop people from participating in American democracy.”
My political adversaries pounced on a mistake because they want to intimidate anyone with the temerity to challenge this incredibly corrupt system & I have been a pain in the ass to powerful people.
I hope this does not stop people from participating in American democracy.
— James Devine (@James_J_Devine) April 28, 2023
From 1992 to 1993, Devine served as political director for the New Jersey Democratic State Committee. He claimed to be a “masterful Democratic Party campaign strategist.”
According to a local report, a Democratic city council member in California was detained and charged with election fraud in February.
According to CBS Sacramento, Shakir Khan, a member of the Lodi City Council, was arrested after facing additional criminal allegations. The news source reported that Khan resigned from his position a few days prior to his detention, and then claimed that his resignation was coerced. According to reports, the new vote falsification charges pertain to the 2020 election.
“We became aware of Shakir Khan’s arrest this morning and I had the opportunity to speak with him here at the county jail and asked for his resignation, effective immediately. He agreed to resign,” Lodi Mayor Mikey Hothi noted in a statement at the time, according to the outlet. “The city is fully cooperating with the investigation. I want to thank the sheriff’s office and everybody involved, ensuring a fair and thorough process.”
According to Khan’s attorney, who spoke with CBS13, his client was under duress when he resigned from his position without legal counsel. Additionally, the attorney indicated that Khan had not yet officially resigned from his position on the city council. However, according to the sheriff’s office, there is substantial evidence that Khan betrayed the public’s trust.
Khan was charged with multiple offenses related to voter fraud. Charges included causing, procuring, or allowing false voter registration of himself or another person, submitting fraudulent voter registration to the Secretary of State, submitting a fraudulent candidacy petition, aiding and abetting fraud in any election, subscribing fictitious names to nomination petitions, making a false nomination or declaration of candidacy, fraudulently casting votes, and procuring, assisting, counseling, or advising another person who is not qualified to vote.
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