GOP operative charged over ballot fraud in North Carolina

A North Carolina political operative at the center of a Republican congressional campaign tainted by an absentee ballot fraud scheme in the 2018 and 2016 elections has been indicted on multiple charges, officials said Wednesday.

Leslie McCrae Dowless, who worked for Mark Harris, the GOP nominee in the state’s 9th Congressional District, faces three felony charges of obstruction of justice, two charges of conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice and two charges of possession of absentee ballot.

Dowless conducted an illegal “ballot harvesting” operation, according to testimony and other findings detailed at a recent election board hearing.

He and his assistants are accused of gathering up absentee ballots from voters by offering to put them in the mail. State law makes it illegal for anyone other than the voter or a close relative to handle a mail-in ballot.

Four other people — Caitlyn Croom, Matthew Monroe Mathis, Tonia Gordon and Rebecca Thompson – also face charges in connection with absentee ballot collection in Bladen County, according to The News & Observer.

Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman also is looking into irregularities discovered during November’s general election.

Dowless’s actions “served to undermine the integrity of the absentee ballot process and the public’s confidence in the outcome of the electoral process,” according to the indictment.

Last week, election officials in the state ordered a new contest in the district, ending a lengthy probe focused on irregularities with the mail-in ballots. A date has not been set.

In a unanimous vote, the board threw out the November results between Harris, an evangelical minister from Charlotte, and Democrat Dan McCready.

Harris, who had led by 905 votes in unofficial returns, announced Tuesday that he would not run in the new election. McCready has confirmed that he will run again.

Dowless didn’t respond to a message seeking comment.

With Post Wires

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