Fraud committee hearing reveals how Carver County election workers uncovered voter fraud scheme
There are new allegations in a Minnesota voter fraud case that first came to light this summer. Two people pleaded guilty in federal court to being paid to help register voters.
In all, 500 to 600 fraudulent voter registration applications were submitted to election offices in 13 Minnesota counties. It was some sharp election workers in Carver County who realized the names and addresses on the voter registration forms didn't match with any county residents.
Prosecutors charged two people with one count each of voter registration fraud. According to the charging document, the two were paid by an unnamed foundation to help register voters.
The two defendants pleaded guilty this summer and have since moved out of state.
The scope of the two-year FBI and state investigation was not previously known.
"It's very significant that they said today this is 13 counties and between 500 and 600 fake voter registrations, and that's from just two of the independent contractors that worked with this group," said Rep. Kristin Robbins, Maple Grove-R, chair of the Minnesota House Fraud Committee.
The investigation involved scouring hundreds of records.
"On guidance from the FBI, the voter registration applications were mailed right to the election head, instructions were used to use gloves when handling the forms," said Paul Linnell, state elections director, during a hearing on Wednesday.
In testimony before the committee, Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon says the system designed to catch voter fraud works.
"This is a case of individuals who conspired to submit false voter registrations. This is not a case about fraudulent votes, and this is ultimately a case of the system working," Simon said.
Robbins, who is running for governor of Minnesota, says she has additional concerns that the unnamed foundation that paid the two workers is funded by state taxpayer dollars.
"Ninety-nine percent of their budget comes from state grants, so this is a group that the state is funding, and then went out and did these voter registrations," she said.
The 12 other counties where fraud was discovered are not being named.