Corrupt Former Philadelphia Democrat Congressman Charged with Pervasive Federal Election Fraud
Richard Moorhead
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A former Democratic congressman who was expelled from the House of Representatives in 1980 for his involvement in a corruption and bribery scandal has been indicted on federal election fraud charges, with authorities alleging he’s been involved in a running a ballot stuffing operation while working as a political consultant in the 2014, 2015 and 2016 primary elections.
Michael ‘Ozzie’ Myers represented Pennsylvania’s 1st District in the House of Representatives as a Democrat from 1976 to 1980. He holds the ignominy of being one of the few members of Congress to be expelled from the chamber through a vote of its members, having been charged and ultimately convicted of taking a $50,000 bribe from an undercover FBI agent in the so-called ‘Abscam’ scandal. Myers went on to serve three years in prison in the 1980’s on his bribery and conspiracy convictions.
Now, Myers is being accused of bribing city of Philadelphia election officials to stuff election ballot boxes with votes for his preferred candidates. The Justice Department alleges that Myers paid Philadelphia 39th Ward Election Judge Domenick J. Demuro to permit the election fraud activity. Demuro has already pled guilty to election crimes. Myers allegedly paid Demuro from $300 to $5,000 per rigged election, nakedly buying election victories for his preferred candidates.
“Free and fair elections are the hallmark of our system of government,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Department of Justice has zero tolerance for corruption of the electoral process, and we will spare no effort in investigating and prosecuting those who would seek an unfair advantage at the polls by bribing state and local officials responsible for ensuring the fairness of our elections.”
Meanwhile, we’re told that election fraud is negligible, and that there’s no reason to be concerned with massive new mail-in ballot plans on the part of states that have never conducted mail-in elections before.
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