Congressman McHenry's Campaign Aide Indicted
By Laura Strickler and Michael Rey
The CBS News Investigative Unit has learned a man who was a field coordinator in Congressman Patrick McHenry's (R-NC) 2004 campaign has been indicted for voter fraud in North Carolina.
The indictment charges that Michael Aaron Lay, 26, illegally cast his ballot in two 2004 Congressional primary run-offs in which McHenry was a candidate. The charges indicate that Lay voted in a district where it was not legal for him to vote.
At the time Lay was listed as a resident in a home owned by 32-year-old McHenry but campaign records indicate Lay's paychecks were sent to an address in Tennessee. McHenry won the primary by only 86 votes. According to Gaston County, North Carolina District Attorney Locke Bell, Lay was indicted on Monday, May 7 by a local grand jury.
CBS News has learned that these charges were first investigated by the North Carolina State Board of Elections up to two years ago. The results were forwarded to the previous Gaston County District Attorney Mike Lands. In January, Bell was elected the new district attorney for the county and pursued the indictment.
The CBS News Investigative Unit has learned a man who was a field coordinator in Congressman Patrick McHenry's (R-NC) 2004 campaign has been indicted for voter fraud in North Carolina.
The indictment charges that Michael Aaron Lay, 26, illegally cast his ballot in two 2004 Congressional primary run-offs in which McHenry was a candidate. The charges indicate that Lay voted in a district where it was not legal for him to vote.
At the time Lay was listed as a resident in a home owned by 32-year-old McHenry but campaign records indicate Lay's paychecks were sent to an address in Tennessee. McHenry won the primary by only 86 votes. According to Gaston County, North Carolina District Attorney Locke Bell, Lay was indicted on Monday, May 7 by a local grand jury.
CBS News has learned that these charges were first investigated by the North Carolina State Board of Elections up to two years ago. The results were forwarded to the previous Gaston County District Attorney Mike Lands. In January, Bell was elected the new district attorney for the county and pursued the indictment.
Until all voting precincts throughout the US with computerized voting machines are equipped with paper trails so that votes and tabulation processes can be tracked and verified should any questions develop, the public will not be able to trust the outcome of such elections and the American electoral process will remain under suspect.
I check out the article expecting to see some rigged voting machines, or someone telling elderly people there's a "new voting method this year, it's called elimination voting." Maybe even a few million hanging chads; that would inspire some warm memories of yesteryear, wouldn't it?
This article is ridiculous...
I'm also so tired of Republican's boo-hooing about how they are being picked on because they're republican. The republican party has become a joke. Look. The bottom line is, this guy broke the law, committed a felony, and is now going to be indicted. Stop boo-hooing because he happens to be republican, (no surprise there though). If it was a democrat who committed voter fraud, I want to see his butt in the slammer too. It's time to stop boo-hooing about the criminal's party affiliation and crack down on any and all of them. Its time to clean up this government and stop complaining about what party he came from.
I'm also so tired of Republican's boo-hooing about how they are being picked on because they're republican. The republican party has become a joke. Look. The bottom line is, this guy broke the law, committed a felony, and is now going to be indicted. Stop boo-hooing because he happens to be republican, (no surprise there though). If it was a democrat who committed voter fraud, I want to see his butt in the slammer too. It's time to stop boo-hooing about the criminal's party affiliation and crack down on any and all of them. Its time to clean up this government and stop complaining about what party he came from.
Only because it's a Republican is it news.
Kings Mountain, NC- Cleveland County Republican Party Chairman Wayne King issued the following statement in regards to the recent indictment of former McHenry for Congress aide, Aaron Lay.
King stated, %u201CIn 2004, I supported Patrick McHenry's campaign for Congress. In fact, I
often went to his house in Cherryville to volunteer for the campaign. I can
personally attest that Mr. Aaron Lay resided there on a full-time basis. Aaron
is a good friend of mine, and it's shameful that District Attorney Locke
Bell is trying to destroy his life for political purposes. I continue to support Congressman McHenry.%u201D
As North Carolina's primary Second Amendment organization, the GRNC Political Victory Fund engaged a radio and mail campaign for McHenry over Huffman because Huffman, just months after securing our endorsement for re-election, acted in his capacity as Chairman of the NC Sheriffs' Assoc. Legislative Committee to endorse HB 1275, which would have shut down gun shows and subjected private firearms transfers to registration by the FBI via the National Instant Check System.
By contrast, McHenry had a perfect conservative voting record in the NC House.
The only whackos here are the ones who spread lies.
F. Paul Valone
President, Grass Roots North Carolina
If Mr. McHenry is: 1) A true conservative, I've seen no such proof; and, 2) Leadership potential? Gawd help us. That's just too laughable.
Regardless of the nature of the individual's involvment, it's news. It would be news regardless of political leanings.
The real concern should be for McHenry's campaign consultant, Dee Stewart, who orchestrated the same activity in Moore County in North Carolina. The local paper in Moore County, NC has two of his campaign workers in that race admiting in print they had no intention of living in the district where they registered and voted and did so only to help the candidate running, Joe Boylan. Since Dee Stewart advised both candidates and similar activity has occurred in both places, would this not be the grounds for an investigation and indictment for conspiracy for Mr. Stewart?
- by grnc May 12, 2007 2:17 PM EDT
- As a political activist responsible for running PAC ads in Congressman McHenry's 10th Congressional District Primary which were partially responsible for his win, let me tell you that I have never even heard of Michael Aaron Lay.
- Reply to this comment
See all 13 CommentsThat would suggest to me that he is a low-level campaign worker. If so, why is CBS news making a national issue out of a single minor player committing voter fraud? Could it be that as a true conservative with leadership potential, they feel the need to taint McHenry now?