Originally published May 4, 2023 8:00 pm PDT
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin announced on Tuesday that James Devine, a Democratic campaign strategist, has been charged with election fraud, according to a report from The Daily Caller.
Devine allegedly submitted over 1,900 fraudulent petitions in an attempt to secure a spot on the 2021 Democratic gubernatorial primary ballot for candidate Lisa McCormick.
As McCormick’s campaign manager, Devine emailed the fake voter certifications to the New Jersey Secretary of State’s Division of Elections in April 2021.
The New Jersey Democratic State Committee swiftly challenged his efforts, claiming that the signatures on all the forms were of the same style and at least one of the voters named was deceased, according to Platkin.
Following the challenge, a judge removed McCormick from the primary ballot.
Devine now faces third-degree charges related to nomination certificates or petitions, tampering with public records or information, and fourth-degree charges for falsifying or tampering with records.
Thomas Eicher, Executive Director of the New Jersey Office of Public Integrity and Accountability, emphasized the gravity of these actions in a release, stating, “Fraudulent acts like this erode faith in our government and the rule of law, and there must be consequences,” Daily Caller notes.
If convicted, Devine could face over five years in prison.
Devine, who self-identifies as “a masterful Democratic Party campaign strategist,” previously served as a political director for the New Jersey Democratic State Committee from 1992 to 1993, according to his LinkedIn profile.
He garnered controversy in June 2017 when he created the “#HuntRepublicanCongressmen” hashtag on Twitter, just one day after Republican Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise and several others were shot during a congressional baseball game practice.
