Noncitizens and double voters: Ohio exposes potential election fraud in 8 states, DC
Election integrity has become a top concern among the American public, and Ohio is leading an effort to address those concerns and root out fraud.
On Tuesday, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R) revealed that an ongoing review discovered potential voter fraud impacting eight states and Washington, D.C.
'Critics of Ohio’s election integrity efforts may try to minimize the significance of these referrals, as though some small amount of election crime is acceptable.'
“During an ongoing review of the Ohio Voter Registration Database using state and federal data, evidence of 30 noncitizen registrations were uncovered by Election Integrity Unit investigators. In addition, the review found 11 individuals from Virginia, Arizona, Colorado, District of Columbia, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, and South Carolina who appear to have voted in multiple jurisdictions,” a press release from LaRose’s office read.
LaRose referred the findings of “potential fraudulent noncitizen registrations and fraudulent double votes” to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost (R), as well as the attorneys general of the seven other states and Washington, D.C.
RELATED: Chinese national accused of voting in US election skips hearing, prompting bench warrant
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose. Photo by Bonnie Cash/Getty Images
LaRose stated, “We must send a clear message that election fraud won’t be tolerated.”
“The only way to maintain Ohio’s high standard of election integrity is to enforce the law whenever it’s broken. Through the investigations of our Public Integrity Division’s Election Integrity Unit, we are rooting out lawbreakers so we can bring accountability and justice,” he added.
The attorneys general will determine whether to review the evidence further and ultimately decide whether to prosecute.
While LaRose can initiate investigations, he must refer his findings to the AG or local district attorneys for prosecution.
LaRose wrote in a letter to Yost, “Critics of Ohio’s election integrity efforts may try to minimize the significance of these referrals, as though some small amount of election crime is acceptable.”
“Even one illegal vote can spoil the outcome of an election for the citizenry at large, whether it be a school levy, majority control of a legislative chamber, or even a statewide election contest. Just this last election, a single vote in Licking County decided the outcome of a local levy after the final certified count,” he continued. “If we intend to give Ohioans absolute confidence in the integrity of our elections, we must have zero tolerance for misconduct.”
RELATED: Trump DOJ targets North Carolina for shaky voter registration
Photo by Jeff Swensen/Getty Images
The South Carolina Attorney General’s Office told Blaze News it had not yet received LaRose’s evidence. However, it noted, “We did get a phone call from them and expect them to forward the evidence.”
The Colorado Attorney General’s office stated it “cannot confirm or otherwise comment on investigations.”
The offices for the attorneys general of Ohio, Virginia, Arizona, D.C., Illinois, Kentucky, and Maryland did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.
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Scared they won’t be able to cheat? Democrats SUE Trump for securing elections
We all know cheating is in the Democrats’ playbook, and sometimes they tell us so themselves. For example, several Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.), are suing President Trump for his recent executive order that aims to secure elections by requiring voter ID — something the vast majority of Americans support.
There’s only one reason to oppose something so obviously good for the nation, says Sara Gonzales. You want to cheat.
Guest Amy Robbins, host of “The Amy Robbins Show,” says she recently had to show her ID just to buy some Benadryl.
“You won't let me take home this Benadryl without my ID, but dang it, we can sure vote on the direction of this country without an ID,” she scoffs.
She then brings up another good point: In the last election, “Every single blue state that Kamala won didn't require voter ID.”
Coincidence? Not a chance.
Democrats know that to secure elections means to lose votes, but they can’t admit that, so instead they whine that voter ID is “voter suppression.”
“It's voter suppression to require people to follow the damn law because [requiring citizenship to vote] is already the freaking law,” says Sara. All this executive order is doing is saying, “Instead of taking your word for it, we'd like to see some proof.”
The only voter suppression that will be happening under Trump’s EO is the suppression of illegal immigrant votes, which is “kind of the whole point,” she adds.
“I do want some voter suppression ... the illegal votes,” she continues. “If you want to call that voter suppression, go right ahead, but at the end of the day, it's just called following the law.”
BlazeTV contributor Matthew Marsden, who immigrated to the U.S. from Britain, says that legal immigrants should be 100% on board with this legislation.
When a legal immigrant votes, “There's a sense of belonging, and it's a barrier that you've overcome. You feel like you've actually done something to warrant you being in the country, and to just say [voter ID] doesn't matter diminishes what it means to become an American,” he tells the panel.
To hear more of the conversation, watch the clip above.
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Brilliant: Trump’s election fraud EO locks down voting while exposing the cheaters
On March 25, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections.” The order requires voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship, mandates that all ballots be received by Election Day, strongly encourages paper ballots, and gives federal agencies (like DHS) power to review state election practices. States that fail to comply risk losing federal funding.
While there is certain to be pushback from the radical left, anyone with an ounce of sense knows this is a big win for election security, which a huge percentage of Americans no longer have faith in.
“This would prevent the radical left from being able to do almost everything that they have done to us,” says Liz Wheeler.
The simplicity of voter ID and paper ballots to solve the complex problem of election fraud is further proof of Donald Trump’s brilliance, she says.
On top of that, it will expose who wants to cheat.
“Listen to who opposes this, and you'll know who the cheaters are. ... There is no legitimate reason to oppose any of those things. If you oppose it, you are a cheater,” says Liz matter of factly.
She’s less excited, however, about the Crossfire Hurricane EO that will declassify files related to the FBI’s probe into Trump’s 2016 campaign and alleged Russian interference.
“This is good that he declassified this,” but “my expectations are low for the same reason that my expectations were low for the JFK files: I don’t expect that those in the FBI who were so corrupt that they staged lawfare against the president of the United States, illegally spied on him, lied and falsely accused him of colluding with Russia – I don't expect that they would have retained a file or a file cabinet full of incriminating information against themselves,” she says.
The only reason we know the truth about Crossfire Hurricane, Liz argues, is because “we the people — independent journalists — recorded what happened and investigated what happened.”
She doesn’t anticipate these files will have any kind of smoking gun because the FBI wouldn’t dare leave such a thing sitting around awaiting discovery.
To hear more of Liz’s analysis, watch the clip above.
Want more from Liz Wheeler?
To enjoy more of Liz’s based commentary, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.
Democrats embroiled in election scandal in Connecticut city turn themselves in
Two Democrat city councilpersons and one influential Democrat operative in Bridgeport, Connecticut, have turned themselves in to police in connection with alleged election tampering.
On Friday, Councilmembers Alfredo Castillo and Maria Pereira as well as Wanda Geter-Pataky, the Bridgeport Democratic Party vice chair, walked into a Connecticut State Police station after warrants were issued for their arrests, according to videos shared by John Craven of News 12 Connecticut.
Accusations have swirled around the trio for years, as Blaze News has chronicled at length.
In 2019, Castillo and Geter-Pataky allegedly mishandled absentee ballots during the contentious Democratic mayoral primary. At the time, both worked for the campaign of longtime Mayor Joe Ganim, whose decades in office was interrupted by a seven-year stint in prison for political corruption.
A former resident of Castillo's district alleged back then that Castillo picked up an absentee ballot from his home before he ever had a chance to fill it out. Castillo initially denied knowing the resident or working to procure him an absentee ballot. He then later reportedly admitted that his handwriting appears on portions of the ballot but continued to say he never took possession of it.
"Not me. I didn’t take no absentee ballot. I don’t do that," Castillo said, according to the CT Mirror. "I don’t touch none of that stuff. ... He didn’t give me no ballot."
Geter-Pataky also allegedly filled out an absentee ballot without proper authorization during the 2019 mayoral primary election. She was likewise accused of tampering with a witness.
Additionally, Geter-Pataky is at the center of controversy in the 2023 Democratic mayoral primary, once again involving Mayor Joe Ganim. An ardent Ganim supporter and then an employee of City Hall, she appeared to be caught on surveillance video stuffing a City Hall drop box with stacks of absentee ballots just days before the election.
The surveillance footage was so alarming that a judge later tossed the results and demanded a primary do-over, though Ganim prevailed over his opponents in the second primary as well as the general election. As in 2019, the results of the 2023 Democratic mayoral primary swung to Ganim almost exclusively on absentee ballot dumps on election night.
The CT Post reported that the warrants issued recently for Geter-Pataky and Castillo are related to the 2023 election. However, it is unclear what Castillo has been accused of doing in that case.
'Despite commonsense voter integrity measures that could be implemented, Connecticut state Democrats tells us corruption is not a problem.'
Pereira is also accused of meddling with absentee ballots in 2023. According to a resident of a low-income apartment complex that was heavily targeted during the primary campaign season, "Maria Pereira came to my home and took the ballot. She indicated that she would mail it for me. She told me what line to vote for and I sign[ed] it."
"For 4 years Maria Pereira has taken my voting ballot and stuffed it in her bag to drop it off," another resident wrote in a letter. "Maria likes to bribe the seniors, bringing them Christmas presents ... buying them food, getting them little things."
Screenshots of handwritten notes scribbled on what appear to be absentee ballot materials and shared on X by Craven of News 12 Connecticut indicate that Pereira — or someone pretending to be Pereira — attempted to influence the way people completed their ballots.
"You get to vote for whoever you want, just like I get to choose which residen[ts] I help or don’t help," Pereira allegedly wrote on one person's absentee ballot instructions.
On another set of instructions, she allegedly wrote, "No one will ever know!" followed by a heart and her name.
As she exited the CSP station on Friday, Pereira made a brief statement: "I’m going to win. I’ve defeated the Bridgeport PD four times with zero convictions. I’m going to win this, too."
Pereira, Castillo, and Geter-Pataky are all scheduled to appear in court on March 6.
"I've been told there's an active warrant, and they've provided the option of voluntary surrender," said Frank Riccio, Castillo's attorney.
"It's my understanding that yes, she is surrendering on a warrant today. Anything else it would be inappropriate for me to comment on at this point," added Geter-Pataky's attorney, Robert Gulash.
Leaders of the Yankee Institute, a government watchdog organization in Connecticut, indicated to Blaze News that these cases demonstrate the need for better guardrails on the election system.
"It is impossible for Connecticut’s voters to have confidence in the outcomes of the elections here without meaningful voter integrity reforms — including voter ID requirements," Yankee Institute President Carol Platt Liebau said in a statement to Blaze News.
"Our state is facing a crisis of competence in our voting system where the public no longer trusts the ballot boxes that can be easily stuffed and absentee ballots that are being found to be manipulated," said Yankee Institute fellow Frank Ricci, who also serves as a Connecticut fire chief.
"Despite commonsense voter integrity measures that could be implemented, Connecticut state Democrats tells us corruption is not a problem — the arrests and video tapes tells us the real story."
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