BREAKING: Springfield Democrat Mayoral Candidate Justin Hurst Accused of Election Fraud — Shocking Video Shows Alleged Pay-for-Vote Scheme
Hat tip to Behizy for leading the investigation on this voter fraud story.
Just five days before election night, a damning video has emerged showing Justin Hurst, the Democrat Candidate for Mayor in Springfield, Massachusetts, allegedly engaging in election fraud in broad daylight. Sworn affidavits from City Hall officials claim that Hurst paid individuals $10 to cast their votes in his favor.
The video footage captures Hurst and his campaign team transporting multiple individuals to City Hall for voting. To receive their promised payment, these voters had to present Hurst with “I Voted Early” stickers as proof of their vote.
Some of these voters appeared to be homeless. For someone without a roof over their head, the allure of $10 and a free ride to the voting booth is a significant incentive.
These allegations, as stated in affidavits by Springfield election department officials, have been detailed to Western Mass News. These officials recounted their observations during the early voting period at city hall, where they witnessed voters being transported to the polls and subsequently anticipating cash rewards for casting their votes in favor of Hurst.
Springfield Elections Commissioner Gladys Oyola-Lopez noted a suspicious surge in walk-in voters at city hall as of October 27th. Some of these voters were overheard discussing the expected monetary compensation for their votes. Surveillance footage obtained by Western Mass News appears to support these claims, showing what seems to be a sequence of individuals being shuttled to and from the polls in a black SUV.
WATCH:
BREAKING: New Shocking Footage has been released of a Democrat Candidate in Springfield, Massachusetts committing election fraud in broad daylight. City Hall officials wrote sworn affidavits saying the candidate Justin Hurst paid people $10 to vote for him
The video reveals… pic.twitter.com/MuLv2B8YHZ
— George (@BehizyTweets) November 2, 2023
“As of Friday, October 27, we noticed a marked increase in the number of walk-in voters at city hall… Periodically, the voters that came in would discuss among themselves about receiving payment. They stated they must take the ‘I Voted’ sticker as proof they voted,” said Springfield Elections Commissioner Gladys Oyola-Lopez.
“We were able to ascertain from the video footage that many individuals who were dropped off the black Suburban and black Expedition entered city hall, voted and left in the same aforementioned vehicles. At one point in the footage, two women and one man can be seen showing the man in the red/white/blue shirt something. The man then takes out what appears to be a large bundle of cash and peel off a bill and hand it to each person,” she added.
Incumbent Mayor Domenic Sarno, Hurst’s opponent, expressed his alarm over these allegations and underscored the sanctity of the voting process. “Voting is a sacred trust and should be treated as such. The integrity of our elections must be protected,” he stated.
“Election Commissioner Gladys Oyola-Lopez on Saturday, October 28, reported suspicious activity during early voting to our office. We immediately referred her to City Solicitor Judge John Payne. These allegations are very serious and upsetting to me. Voting is a sacred trust and should be treated as such. The integrity of our elections must be protected. This is a legal matter which has been reported to the proper authorities by Solicitor Judge Payne,” Sarno reported.
Meanwhile, the legal gears are in motion. Springfield Solicitor John Payne has reportedly approached the Hampden District Attorney’s Office, requesting a thorough investigation into the claims. Additionally, William Galvin, the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, expressed his concern about the allegations and has been in contact with law enforcement to ensure the integrity of the voting process, according to 22 News.
On Thursday’s press conference, Hurst vehemently denied the claims, emphasizing his commitment to a clean and transparent electoral race.
“Any accusations that my team paid residents in exchange for their vote is unequivocally false,” Hurst stated during a recent press conference.
Pay-per-vote schemes, also known as “vote buying,” are illegal in Massachusetts as they are in all U.S. states. Such schemes violate the principles of a free and fair election and undermine the democratic process.
Chapter 56, Section 32: Bribery of Voter of the Massachusetts General Laws clearly prohibits such practices.
The law states that: “No person shall, directly or indirectly, pay, give or promise to a voter, any gift or reward to influence his vote or to induce him to withhold his vote. Violation of any provision of this section shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than one year.”
Furthermore, the U.S. Code Title 18, Section 597, also outlaws expenditure to influence voting. This reinforces the view that vote buying undermines the integrity of the electoral process and is categorically unacceptable.
§597. Expenditures to influence voting
Whoever makes or offers to make an expenditure to any person, either to vote or withhold his vote, or to vote for or against any candidate; and
Whoever solicits, accepts, or receives any such expenditure in consideration of his vote or the withholding of his vote—
Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both; and if the violation was willful, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.
It’s becoming increasingly evident that there are concerns about Democrats and election integrity.
The Gateway Pundit previously reported that Superior Court Judge William Clark ordered a new election just days before the general election scheduled for November 7.
Judge Clark determined that the allegations of possible malfeasance were serious enough to warrant the overturning of the September 12 primary results, which Ganim had won by a margin of 251 votes out of 8,173 cast.
“The volume of ballots so mishandled is such that it calls the result of the primary election into serious doubt and leaves the court unable to determine the legitimate result of the primary.” Clark said, adding that the videos “are shocking to the court and should be shocking to all the parties.”
New Jersey’s Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin has added new charges to an ongoing election-fraud case involving Democrat Alex Mendez, the Paterson City Council President, and several alleged co-conspirators. According to the Attorney General, the defendants are accused of attempting to rig the election, tampering with ballots, and obstructing the course of justice through witness tampering.
Mendez was initially indicted on election fraud charges in 2021. Now, fresh charges have been brought against him, his wife Yohanny Mendez, and two other Paterson residents, Omar Ledesma and Iris Rigo. The revelations came after an extensive investigation by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA), which itself was prompted when the U.S. Postal Inspection Service found hundreds of mail-in ballots for the May 2020 Paterson municipal election suspiciously stashed in a mailbox in a neighboring municipality.
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