Latest news with #voterfraud
Fox News
6 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Pro-Trump 'troll' who spread Hillary text-to-vote memes in 2016 has conviction tossed by appeals court
An appeals court has reversed the conviction of a pro-Trump influencer charged with spreading false information on social media to suppress Democratic voter turnout during the 2016 election, voiding conspiracy charges and a monthslong federal prison sentence handed down by a jury in Brooklyn, New York. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit on Wednesday unanimously voided the conviction of Douglass Mackey on federal conspiracy charges and remanded the case back to the U.S. Court in the Eastern District of New York to enter a new judgment of acquittal. The unanimous three-judge panel said in their ruling that "no rational jury" could have found that Mackey, 36, "knowingly" joined others in an illegal conspiracy aimed at influencing the outcome of the 2016 election or depriving people of their right to vote. "The jury's verdict and the resulting judgment of conviction must be set aside," Chief Judge Debra Ann Livingston wrote. The verdict is a win for Mackey, a self-styled right-wing influencer and self-described "troll," who amassed roughly 58,000 followers on Twitter in the run-up to the 2016 election. Mackey, who used the handle "Ricky Vaughn," used his account to post false information designed to support then-presidential candidate Donald Trump, including memes designed to look like Hillary Clinton ads that told voters they could submit their ballots via text message. Mackey was convicted in 2023 on conspiracy charges and sentenced to seven months in federal prison. The three-judge panel ruled Wednesday that Mackey's posts, including the false memes he posted, were not sufficient evidence to prove that he had violated U.S. conspiracy laws, "even assuming that he did so with the intent to injure other citizens in the exercise of their right to vote," they said. "The government was obligated to show that Mackey knowingly entered into an agreement with other people to pursue that objective," Chief Judge Debra Ann Livingston and Judges Reena Raggi and Beth Robinson wrote. "This the government failed to do." The decision was praised by Mackey, who immediately posted on social media about the verdict. "HALLELUJAH!" Mackey said on X after the appellate court ruling on Wednesday. Mackey proceeded to thank God, his family, wife, lawyers and others who supported him during the trial in subsequent posts. He then threatened to pursue legal action over his conviction. "Now we sue," he said.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Palmer Moland sentenced following voter fraud conviction
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Palmer Moland, former president of the Fairfax School District Board of Trustees, was given a three-year suspended sentence Wednesday after being found guilty of voter fraud. Judge Brian M. McNamara imposed a sentence of 90 days time served and two years of probation, but warned Moland he'll serve the three-year prison term if he gets in further trouble. McNamara told Moland he hopes he doesn't see him again — at least not in his courtroom. The judge noted Moland took full responsibility for his actions — something rare in his experience — and a number of people wrote letters in his support. A jury last month convicted Moland of filing false candidacy papers and perjury, but acquitted him on six other felony counts. Two additional charges — including embezzlement — were dismissed before trial began. At trial, prosecutor Greg Kohler said Moland in 2018 ran for governing board member of the Fairfax School District despite not living in the district, using an address where he didn't live to register to vote. In 2022, Kohler said, Moland went back and filled out more elections paperwork, using the same address. After Sunrise: July 9, 2025 Deputy Public Defender Ajaib Gill argued Moland actually did live at the address he listed on paperwork for the 2018 election. He said Moland divided his time between that address and an apartment that was outside the district, but the home within the district was his actual home address. Gill conceded the two counts related to the 2022 election — the two of which Moland was found guilty — saying the home within the district had been sold and Moland listed the old address on elections paperwork while looking for another residence. Moland was unable to find a home within the district by the time of the election, Gill said. Moland contacted the elections division to try to have his name removed from the ballot, but the ballots had already been printed, he said. Next week Moland is scheduled to be sentenced after pleading no contest to healthcare fraud-related charges filed in two other cases. Whatever he's sentenced to in those cases will run concurrent with and not exceed the sentence in the voter fraud case. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Washington Post
08-07-2025
- Washington Post
Second defendant pleads guilty in Minnesota voter fraud case
MINNEAPOLIS — The second of two defendants from Nevada who were charged in Minnesota with conspiracy to commit voter registration fraud pleaded guilty Tuesday, federal prosecutors announced. Ronnie Williams, 58, entered his plea before U.S. District Judge Laura Provinzino in St. Paul. Court records don't say whether there was a formal plea agreement.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Second defendant pleads guilty in Minnesota voter fraud case
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The second of two defendants from Nevada who were charged in Minnesota with conspiracy to commit voter registration fraud pleaded guilty Tuesday, federal prosecutors announced. Ronnie Williams, 58, entered his plea before U.S. District Judge Laura Provinzino in St. Paul. Court records don't say whether there was a formal plea agreement. 'Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of our democracy," Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson said in a statement. "Any attempt to undermine that process through fraud will be investigated and prosecuted. This case sends a clear message — election fraud will not be tolerated in Minnesota.' Williams' co-defendant, Lorraine Lee Combs, 57, pleaded guilty June 24. Under her plea agreement, the prosecution and defense agreed that the nonbinding federal sentencing guidelines recommend a sentence of zero to six months in prison, with one to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $20,000. The actual sentences will be determined by the judge. The charges carry statutory maximums of five years in prison. Sentencing dates have not been set. Both defendants will remain free in the meantime. Williams and Combs allegedly generated fictitious names and other data they used to fill out Minnesota voter registration forms in 2021 and 2022. The charging documents filed last month say Williams provided the completed forms to an entity that sought to register voters in Minnesota that is identified only as 'Foundation 1,' which paid him, and that he then split the proceeds with Combs. Combs and Williams were longtime romantic partners, according to the documents, which don't say how much they were paid. The documents also indicate that others were involved in the alleged conspiracy, but charges against them have not been announced. While voter fraud does happen occasionally, the country's processes provide many safeguards that generally keep it detectable and rare. When it happens, it tends to get caught and prosecuted. 'The extensive checks in Minnesota's voter registration process ensured that the fraudulent applications were immediately flagged, and no ineligible votes were cast,' Secretary of State Steve Simon said in a statement when the charges were announced. The announcements from prosecutors said the two are Nevada residents who formerly lived in Minnesota. The federal court documents don't specify which cities, but Minnesota court records show they were evicted from a West St. Paul apartment building in 2023.
Associated Press
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Second defendant pleads guilty in Minnesota voter fraud case
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The second of two defendants from Nevada who were charged in Minnesota with conspiracy to commit voter registration fraud pleaded guilty Tuesday, federal prosecutors announced. Ronnie Williams, 58, entered his plea before U.S. District Judge Laura Provinzino in St. Paul. Court records don't say whether there was a formal plea agreement. 'Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of our democracy,' Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson said in a statement. 'Any attempt to undermine that process through fraud will be investigated and prosecuted. This case sends a clear message — election fraud will not be tolerated in Minnesota.' Williams' co-defendant, Lorraine Lee Combs, 57, pleaded guilty June 24. Under her plea agreement, the prosecution and defense agreed that the nonbinding federal sentencing guidelines recommend a sentence of zero to six months in prison, with one to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $20,000. The actual sentences will be determined by the judge. The charges carry statutory maximums of five years in prison. Sentencing dates have not been set. Both defendants will remain free in the meantime. Williams and Combs allegedly generated fictitious names and other data they used to fill out Minnesota voter registration forms in 2021 and 2022. The charging documents filed last month say Williams provided the completed forms to an entity that sought to register voters in Minnesota that is identified only as 'Foundation 1,' which paid him, and that he then split the proceeds with Combs. Combs and Williams were longtime romantic partners, according to the documents, which don't say how much they were paid. The documents also indicate that others were involved in the alleged conspiracy, but charges against them have not been announced. While voter fraud does happen occasionally, the country's processes provide many safeguards that generally keep it detectable and rare. When it happens, it tends to get caught and prosecuted. 'The extensive checks in Minnesota's voter registration process ensured that the fraudulent applications were immediately flagged, and no ineligible votes were cast,' Secretary of State Steve Simon said in a statement when the charges were announced. The announcements from prosecutors said the two are Nevada residents who formerly lived in Minnesota. The federal court documents don't specify which cities, but Minnesota court records show they were evicted from a West St. Paul apartment building in 2023.
