Warrants Show 2018 FBI Activity In North Carolina’s 9th Congressional Investigation

Recently released three warrants in the North Carolina 9th Congressional district absentee ballot investigation show the FBI activity, including surveillance and bank searches prior to the 2018 election. Three warrants were executed; one in December 2018 and two in January 2019.  Phone, text and bank records and were the main target of the warrants. Affidavits attached to the warrants contained interviews with multiple associates of Leslie McCrae Dowless, the man at the center of the absentee ballot investigation.  The affidavits show that between October and December of 2018, agents with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) had contact with Kelly Hendrix, Caitlyn Croom, Tonia Gordon, and Matthew Mathis. In the attached documents for phone records, a statement was included that showed FBI Special Agent James Kaylor and SBE Agent Faircloth had interviewed Tonia Gordon in Bladen County on Oct. 17, 2018.  The statement indicates Gordon told them Dowless would give her blank absentee ballots to have people fill out and he would pay her $5.00 each one she returned to him. Both the SBI and the FBI were surveilling Dowless on May 3, 2018, according to the warrants.  The primary for the 9th district was just five days later on…

Read the full story

Federal Subpoenas Issued In North Carolina 9th Congressional District Case

The Public Integrity Section of the United States Department of Justice has issued subpoenas for documents related to North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District. The subpoena sent to the state’s board of election requests “all documents related to the investigation of election irregularities affecting counties within the 9th Congressional District.” The Public Integrity Section (PIN) has “exclusive jurisdiction over allegations of criminal misconduct on the part of federal judges and also supervises the nationwide investigation and prosecution of election crimes.” Kim Strach, the Executive Director of the State Board of Elections, issued a statement on the subpoena: “We support the efforts of state and federal authorities to investigate and prosecute crimes against the elections process. State Board staff are compiling records responsive to the federal grand jury subpoena and are prepared to assist federal and state prosecutors in their investigations. We hope that prosecutions in these cases will help restore voters’ confidence in our elections and serve as a strong deterrent to future elections fraud.” A grand jury subpoena as also sent to Leslie McCrae Dowless, the man at the center of the absentee ballot controversy. Dowless was arrested and charged last month with three counts felonious obstruction of justice, two…

Read the full story

Fifth Arrest Made In North Carolina’s 9th Congressional Ballot Case

A fifth arrest has been made in the criminal case surrounding an absentee ballot harvesting operation in North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District. A statement by Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman indicated that Rebecca Thompson was arrested on March 7th after turning herself in at the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office. Thompson is charged with conspiracy to commit felonious obstruction of justice and possession of absentee ballots. The man allegedly running the operation, Leslie McCrae Dowless, was first indicted by Grand Jury and then swiftly arrested. Dowless is charged with three counts of felonious obstruction of justice, two counts of conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice and two counts of possession of absentee ballots. Dowless, who was arrested by the State Bureau of Investigation in Bladensboro. was released on a secure bond of $30,000. Three other individuals have been arrested in connection with Dowless’ alleged absentee ballot harvesting operation. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation arrested Caitlyn Croom on March 3 in New Hanover County. Croom is charged with conspiracy to commit felony obstruction of justice and possession of absentee ballots. Tonia Marie Gordon and Matthew Monroe Mathis were also taken into custody March 5th Gordon turned herself in at…

Read the full story

Three More Arrests in North Carolina’s Ninth Congressional District Case

There have been three more arrests in the current criminal case involving absentee ballot harvesting in North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District. According to a press release by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Caitlyn Croom was arrested on March 3 in New Hanover County. Croom has been charged with conspiracy to commit felony obstruction of justice and possession of absentee ballots. On March 5, Tonia Marie Gordon and Matthew Monroe Mathis were also taken into custody and charged with felonious obstruction of justice and possession of an absentee ballots. Mathis was also charged with falsely signing the certification on an absentee ballot. Gordon turned herself in at the Bladen County Magistrate’s office and Mathis was arrested by the Sampson County Sheriff’s office. Rebecca Thompson, who also was indicted, has not yet been arrested. Last week, the man allegedly running the operation, Leslie McCrae Dowless, was arrested for three counts of felonious obstruction of justice, two counts of conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice and two counts of possession of absentee ballots. Dowless was arrested by State Bureau of Investigation Agents in Bladensboro and a secure bond of $30,000 was set. After several days of evidentiary hearings last month, North Carolina…

Read the full story

Man at Center of North Carolina Ballot Harvesting Investigation Indicted and Arrested

A Grand Jury in Raleigh, North Carolina indicted the man at the center of an absentee ballot harvesting scheme in the state’s 9th Congressional District. Leslie McCrae Dowless has been indicted on three counts felonious obstruction of justice, two counts of conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice and two counts of possession of absentee ballots. A secure bond of $30,000 was set for Dowless and the next court date is set for today, February 28. Dowless was arrested by State Bureau of Investigation Agents in Bladensboro on Wednesday, not long after the indictment was made public. The Grand Jury indictment says Dowless illegally took the ballots of, but not limited to, Mary Alice Davis, Sondra Kaye Deaver, and Jabril Baker. The indictment document states that Dowless “unlawfully, willfully, and feloniously, did with deceit and intent to defraud, obstruct public and legal justice” by turning in ballots in such a way as to make it seem like the process had been legal. The indictment document states Dowless did “unlawfully, willfully, and feloniously, conspire with others” whom the indictment names as Kelly Hendrix and Rebecca Thompson. Both women testified during the evidentiary hearings held by the North Carolina State Board of Elections…

Read the full story

North Carolina Elections Board Unanimously Orders New Election in 9th Congressional District

by Evie Fordham   North Carolina’s Board of Elections unanimously ordered a new election in the state’s 9th Congressional District due to “corruption” and “illegal activity… involving absentee ballots” after four days of hearings that drew to a close Thursday. The board decided that neither Republican Mark Harris nor Democrat Dan McCready gained victory in the 2018 midterm election after allegations that Harris campaign operatives illegally harvested ballots, reported Politico Thursday. The race was the only 2018 midterm election that had not been certified. Harris, a former pastor, had an unofficial lead of roughly 900 votes. The board came to a decision after Harris testified and said a new election was needed. “Through the testimony I’ve listened to over the last three days, I believe a new election should be called,” Harris said. “It has become clear to me that the public’s confidence in the 9th District seat general election has been undermined to an extent that a new election is warranted.” Harris’s son, 29-year-old John Harris, had testified Wednesday that he had warned his father about a “shady” political operative. That operative was McCrae Dowless, who worked for the Harris campaign as a contractor through the political consulting firm…

Read the full story