Heads are rolling in North Carolina's controversial 9th congressional district race. The contest is getting a do over after state investigators found evidence of political fraud, including several ballot irregularities. Leslie McCrae Dowless, a political operative who is described as one of the central figures in the scandal, has just been indicted. He’s one of several people expected to be punished.
BREAKING: Leslie McCrae Dowless, the North Carolina man who refused to answer questions from the State Board of Elections regarding allegations that he engaged in fraud during the 9th Congressional district race, has just been indicted by a grand jury for obstruction & conspiracy pic.twitter.com/U6UUrMancW
— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) February 27, 2019
Dowless was charged with three counts of felonious obstruction of justice, two counts of conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice and two counts of possession of an absentee ballot. Four others – Caitlyn Croom, Matthew Mathis, Tonia Gordon and Rebecca Thompson – face charges of conspiracy to obstruct justice and one count of possession of an absentee ballot, according to a press release from Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman's Office. (WRAL.com)
Mark Harris (R-NC), who was declared the winner in the initial flawed race, announced Tuesday that he would not be running again because of health reasons.