The Bladen County political operative at the center of a 2018 congressional election scandal will serve six months in federal prison. McCrae Dowless learned his sentence today on charges of theft of government property and Social Security fraud. Dowless also must pay more than $8,500 in restitution as part of his sentence. He pleaded guilty...
The man once described by Carolina Journal as “the alleged mastermind of an election fraud scheme in the 9th Congressional District” has pleaded guilty to federal charges related to his 2018 election work. Leslie McCrae Dowless, 65, pleaded guilty Monday to charges of theft of government property and Social Security fraud, according to a news...
Each week, staff at Carolina Journal looks back at the week in N.C. politics and chooses several interesting, relevant stories you may have missed. Here’s this week’s review: Virtual attendance: Enrollment in Wake County’s Virtual Academy continues to grow as schools prepare to reopen in the fall with increased safety measures to combat COVID-19. Nearly...
A small group of N.C. voters are suing the state and the N.C. State Board of Elections over absentee voting regulations, but demands in the lawsuit may lead to election fraud, or the appearance thereof, legal and political analysts say. Marc Elias, a Democratic campaign attorney, is representing seven voters in Stringer Et Al. v....
The coronavirus is interfering with state elections, and it could make the runoff for the Republican nominee in N.C.’s 11th U.S. Congressional District problematic. Concerns about COVID-19 pushed the runoff from May 12 to June 23. Candidate Madison Cawthorn asked for the runoff after finishing second to Lynda Bennett, who has the endorsement of White...
As the 2020 elections approach, state lawmakers are working to protect absentee voters from fraud. If signed into law, Senate Bill 683 will require absentee voters to submit a ballot request form with a copy of their ID. This ensures the ballot is delivered directly to the voter and would prevent ballot “harvesters” from distributing...
The top official at the State Board of Elections wants tougher punishment for election crimes, suggesting special prosecutors should be appointed if district attorneys or federal authorities refuse to investigate wrongdoing. The board’s Executive Director Kim Strach delivered what she called a menu of vital reforms to tackle election corruption Wednesday, March 13, to the...
Candidate filing for North Carolina’s fraud-scarred 9th U.S. Congressional District will begin next week for a May 14 primary, and the general election is set for Sept. 10. The State Board of Elections approved the special election schedule Monday, March 4, the same day candidate filing began in the 3rd U.S. Congressional District special election...
Leslie McCrae Dowless, the alleged mastermind of an election fraud scheme in the 9th Congressional District, was arrested Wednesday and jailed in Wake County. Dowless refused to testify last week at a State Board of Elections evidentiary hearing into widespread election fraud last year in the 9th District. Dowless is the alleged mastermind behind an...
Does beleaguered Republican Rev. Mark Harris have a prayer of winning a new 9th U.S. Congressional District election? With his congressional campaign in debt, his integrity under siege, his health in question, and a criminal investigation over corruption gathering steam, some political observers are doubtful. It’s also unclear he’ll seek the congressional seat a third...
The Rev. Mark Harris has thrown in the towel on his hopes of going to Congress. He called for a new election in the 9th U.S. Congressional District as evidence mounted of election fraud in Bladen County during the 2018 election. The State Board of Elections agreed, voting unanimously to hold a new election in the...
