Trump ally who served on voter integrity panel expresses concern about fraud in North Carolina

[Cardinal]

Well, I didn't see this coming, at least not from Kris Kobach. Kobach, who unsuccessfully conducted an investigation to legitimize Trump's unfounded accusation that millions of Californians voted illegally in the 2016 election thereby handing the popular vote to Hillary Clinton, appears to be the first Republican to acknowledge election fraud on the part of Republicans in North Carolina.

Although Republicans have lobbed numerous complaints of voter or election fraud on the part of Democrats, all debunked and unsubstantiated, it is Republicans who have spearheaded the red-state initiative to reduce the electorate through voter registration purges, shorter early vote periods and voter id laws, all of which have been found to deliberately target demographics known to vote Democrat.

Kris Kobach, an ally of President Trump who served on a voter integrity panel, expressed worry Thursday that Republican fraud might have tainted a North Carolina congressional election, becoming one of the most prominent members of the GOP to publicly express alarm about the race.

“Based on what I have read, I am very concerned that voter fraud did occur,” Kobach, the Kansas secretary of state, said in a telephone interview with The Washington Post. He said it was unclear whether the alleged wrongdoing was broad enough to change the outcome of the election.

Kobach’s comments contrasted with many other Republican elected officials, including Trump and House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.), who have opted not to comment on the allegations roiling North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District.

The posture of Trump and other top Republicans for much of this week marked a departure from the recently-concluded Florida recount, in which the president and fellow Republicans leveled unsubstantiated claims about Democratic malfeasance.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/powe...e2f864d47e7_story.html?utm_term=.d9028702dcb7

 

[Cardinal]

You can read more about the ballot harvesting efforts in North Carolina here, efforts that go back years:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...oing-this-eight-years/?utm_term=.f0a6a6b80d1d

After the 2016 race in which congressional candidate Todd Johnson won nearly every mail-in ballot in the county in the Republican primary, Dowless was questioned by the state elections board about irregularities in county voting.

That hearing was apparently the same one covered by the public radio show “This American Life” that December. Reporter Zoe Chace described allegations by Dowless that the campaign of his opponent in a local race, which Dowless won, had violated the law by filling out absentee ballots without voters' consent.

Questioned about his complaint during a hearing before an ethics board, Dowless appeared to back away from the allegation. Asked whether he himself had committed fraud, Dowless admitted activity much like what’s alleged in 2018.

Chace:

“Here’s what tumbles out of McCrae under the board’s questioning. He had some people working for him, getting out the vote — volunteers, McCrae calls them. The volunteers, though, were allegedly getting paid for each ballot they turned in. That is illegal. One of the voters who signed an affidavit said that Get Out the Vote workers came by and had her family request absentee ballots. But then they never received their absentee ballots in the mail like they were supposed to. Then, when the family went to vote on Election Day, they were told they’d already voted. In essence, McCrae’s getting accused of paying people to obtain absentee ballots, fill them out, and cast their votes on someone else’s behalf. That, for sure, is illegal. McCrae says he didn’t do anything wrong.”

 

[MTAtech]

Where is the outrage from Republicans, who claim there is massive fraud in elections?

 

[Tanngrisnir]

Well, I didn't see this coming, at least not from Kris Kobach. Kobach, who unsuccessfully conducted an investigation to legitimize Trump's unfounded accusation that millions of Californians voted illegally in the 2016 election thereby handing the popular vote to Hillary Clinton, appears to be the first Republican to acknowledge election fraud on the part of Republicans in North Carolina.

Although Republicans have lobbed numerous complaints of voter or election fraud on the part of Democrats, all debunked and unsubstantiated, it is Republicans who have spearheaded the red-state initiative to reduce the electorate through voter registration purges, shorter early vote periods and voter id laws, all of which have been found to deliberately target demographics known to vote Democrat.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/powe...e2f864d47e7_story.html?utm_term=.d9028702dcb7

Given Kobach's history of malfeasance and dishonesty, there's simply got to be an ulterior motive for him in this.

 

[Cardinal]

Given Kobach's history of malfeasance and dishonesty, there's simply got to be an ulterior motive for him in this.

Oftentimes a temporary "blink" of truth and integrity happens. This may have been one of them. I won't be overly surprised if he goes back to the party line by tomorrow.

 

[HenryChinaski]

Where is the outrage from Republicans, who claim there is massive fraud in elections?

This is fake news. Republicans are morally and ethically superior and righteous. Democrats are responsible for this.