By Ramon Tomey
Article Source
A former congressman, who had been expelled from Congress and imprisoned for bribery in 1981, has pleaded guilty to committing vote fraud in five elections.
In a June 6 press release, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that former Rep. Michael “Ozzie” Myers (D-PA) admitted to “conspiracy to deprive voters of civil rights, bribery, obstruction of justice [and] falsification of voting records.” The department mentioned that the erstwhile member of Congress also admitted to “conspiring to illegally vote in a federal election.”
Myers pleaded guilty “for orchestrating schemes to fraudulently stuff the ballot boxes for specific Democratic candidates” during the Keystone State’s 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 elections. According to the DOJ, Myers bribed Domenick J. Demuro, a South Philadelphia election judge, to illegally pad the votes of certain candidates with close links to the lawmaker. Demuro was charged in May 2020 and subsequently pleaded guilty. (Related: FLASHBACK: Democrat political insider explains the ease with which he was able to commit vote fraud for years.)
The former congressman also conspired with Marie Beren, another election judge in South Philadelphia, to commit election fraud. She and Myers, alongside several other accomplices, illegally padded votes of candidates who had close links to or had hired the congressman. The election judge also falsified the polling books and list of voters in the city ward assigned to her. Just like Demuro, Beren was separately charged and pleaded guilty in October 2021.
“Voting is the cornerstone of our democracy. If even one vote has been illegally cast, or the integrity of just one election official is compromised, it diminishes faith in [the] process,” said U.S. Attorney Jennifer Williams.
“Votes are not things to be purchased and democracy is not for sale. If you are a political consultant, election official, or work with the polling places in any way, I urge you to do your job honestly and faithfully. That is what the public deserves and what the federal government will enforce.”
Myers previously served time for involvement in bribery scheme
Years before, Myers became entangled in the Federal Bureau of Investigation‘s (FBI) undercover Abscam operation. Initially targeting underworld figures in New York City who were dealing in stolen artwork, the operation expanded to target corrupt politicians. According to the FBI, “one senator, six congressmen and more than a dozen other criminals and corrupt officials were arrested and found guilty” – including Myers.
FBI agents bagged the former Pennsylvania congressman in 1979 after accepting bribe money, which was captured on videotape. The money was said to be from an Arab Sheikh – who was actually a fake persona created by the bureau’s agents. Myers was expelled from Congress in a 376-30 vote in 1980, becoming the first member of the lower chamber to be expelled since 1861.
The former congressman was then sentenced to three years’ jail time and ordered to pay a $20,000 fine. He was released from prison in 1985 after serving his sentence, establishing a political consultancy firm. Myers could find himself behind bars once more as he faces up to 20 years in prison for the vote fraud charges.
Aside from this, Myers had also been charged with assault and battery after attacking a motel security guard and a female cashier who had told him to keep his party quiet. He eventually pleaded no contest to a disorderly conduct charge related to the incident and subsequently received a six-month suspended sentence.
“One thing you can say about Myers [is that] his values have long been out of whack,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “Decades ago, he valued a fake sheikh’s bribe more than the ethical obligations of his elected federal office. This time around, he valued his clients’ money and his own whims more than the integrity of multiple elections and the will of Philadelphia voters.”
Watch this video of a Democratic voter in Philadelphia talking about vote fraud in his city below.
This video is from the vaticancatholic.com channel on Brighteon.com.
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