Former Arizona state legislator Austin Smith pleaded guilty to charges related to forging over 100 signatures on his reelection petitions. Smith admitted to signing a deceased person’s name and attempting to deceive the Secretary of State’s Office by filing petitions with forged signatures. The plea agreement allows Smith to potentially avoid a felony conviction, but he will face probation, a fine, and a five-year ban from public office, pending the sentencing judge’s decision. Despite initially denying the accusations, Smith resigned from his position at Turning Point Action around the time of the allegations, but may have been rehired.
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The article details Donald Trump’s ongoing attempts to discredit the electoral process, now specifically targeting both mail-in and early voting methods. Despite previously utilizing these very methods himself and encouraging his supporters to do the same, he is calling for their elimination. Trump is falsely claiming these methods are proof of Democratic cheating, and urging the Justice Department to investigate the 2020 election outcome. These demands come amid record-breaking early voting turnout in several states, including a concerning shift in Republican voter behavior.
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In a significant development, a Michigan judge dismissed criminal charges against a group of individuals accused of attempting to falsely certify Donald Trump as the winner of the 2020 election, citing a lack of intent to commit fraud. The 15 Republicans, including prominent members of the state’s GOP, faced forgery and conspiracy charges related to signing a document falsely claiming they were the state’s duly elected electors. The judge determined that the defendants believed they were executing their constitutional right to seek redress. Following the ruling, Attorney General Dana Nessel expressed disappointment and said that she is considering an appeal.
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The Department of Justice has alleged that Smartmatic executives, indicted last year on bribery and money-laundering charges, transferred funds from a 2018 Los Angeles County voting machine contract into slush funds previously used for bribing election officials in Venezuela and the Philippines. Prosecutors are seeking to prove these funds were part of a larger pattern of bribery. Fox News, involved in a separate defamation lawsuit, asserts that LA County’s registrar-recorder, Dean Logan, may have received unreported gifts from the company. This could link to a broader scheme including overcharging customers and using the excess to pay bribes in other countries.
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In a defamation case, MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell was ordered to pay $2.3 million to Eric Coomer, a former Dominion Voting Systems employee. The lawsuit stemmed from Lindell’s false accusations that Coomer helped rig the 2020 election. During the trial, Lindell maintained his claims of election fraud, which led to the jury’s decision. Lindell has vowed to appeal the verdict and stated he is in debt as a result.
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Following Donald Trump’s controversial 2024 election win over Kamala Harris, a Wisconsin nonprofit filed a lawsuit against Elon Musk, alleging that he and his political allies violated state election laws. The complaint centers on Musk’s distribution of significant sums of money to voters in Wisconsin and other swing states, allegedly incentivizing them to vote for Trump through schemes that circumvented legal limits on campaign contributions. These actions, which included cash payments and lotteries, prompted unsuccessful legal challenges prior to the election. The lawsuit seeks to prevent future similar actions and potentially award damages.
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A lawsuit alleging voting discrepancies in Rockland County, New York’s 2024 election is proceeding to discovery. The nonpartisan SMART Legislation group claims statistical anomalies and affidavit evidence contradict official results, particularly concerning the Senate race and exhibiting improbable patterns in presidential vote counts. While the lawsuit won’t alter the certified presidential outcome, it raises concerns about election integrity, fueled by reports of altered voting machines and a missing testing lab. A hearing is scheduled for September 22 to consider a request for a full hand recount.
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Haoxiang Gao, a Chinese national and University of Michigan student, was charged with illegal voting in the 2024 general election after admitting to registering and casting a ballot. Despite court orders to surrender his passport and remain in Michigan, Gao fled to China via Delta Airlines on January 19th. He is now federally charged with flight to avoid prosecution; however, extradition from China is unlikely due to the lack of an extradition treaty. This case highlights the rarity of non-citizen voting in U.S. elections, underscoring the seriousness of the offense.
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In Camilla, Georgia, Mayor Kelvin Owens, former elections superintendent Rhunette Williford, and former deputy superintendent Cheryl Ford were jailed on felony election interference and fraud charges. Their arrests stem from November’s attempted halt of a city council election following the disqualification of a candidate, Venterra Pollard. The mayor, citing emergency powers, cancelled the election, while Williford and Ford resigned, citing duress. Despite the initial cancellation, the election proceeded under court order, with polls remaining open until nearly 4 a.m.
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Romania’s Constitutional Court unanimously upheld the presidential election rerun results, rejecting hard-right candidate George Simion’s request for annulment. Simion, who lost decisively to pro-EU candidate Nicusor Dan, alleged foreign interference and irregularities, but provided no evidence. The Court’s decision is final, validating Dan’s victory with 53.6% of the vote. Dan, the newly elected president, expressed gratitude to the Romanian people and acknowledged the significant challenges ahead.
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John Q. Hosedrinker