OAN Staff Abril Elfi
4:20 PM – Wednesday, October 23, 2024
An individual reportedly aligned with the Democrat Party was seen on surveillance footage potentially “tampering” with a ballot box.
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According to an email shared with Fox News Digital, Glacier County election administrator Crystal Cole raised concerns to the Montana secretary of state’s election unit about a potential “tampering” with a ballot box.
“The Glacier County election administrator contacted our office expressing serious concern over surveillance footage that appeared to show an individual ‘tampering’ with a ballot box,” said Richie Melby, the communications director for Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen.
Meanwhile, Cole explained that the individual seen on surveillance video told her that he had been sent by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) “to see how secure the box was.”
However, Cole noted that the “MT Dem Party did not notify the Elections office they would be sending someone to the Ballot Box to check how secure it was, so on camera it looks like he was tampering with the box.”
The Montana secretary’s office was able to identify the individual as Laszlo Gendler, who has been employed by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) this cycle, according to a review of disbursements from the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
However, the DSCC fired Gendler soon after, prompting more suspicion regarding what he had been actually attempted. “The DSCC paid Gendler $42,909.20 in salary and travel expenses between Sept. 15, 2023, and Aug. 30, 2024, per Federal Election Commission filings,” The New York Post reported.
A DSCC spokesman later spoke to the press in order to clear the air and calm any potential worries that the state’s election administrator or Montana residents may have.
“Poll observers are instructed not to touch ballot boxes. This individual was attempting to ensure a new ballot box was secured to the wall, neither the ballot box nor ballots were affected,” David Bergstein, DSCC spokesperson, told Fox News Digital. “Their actions were not in accordance with our procedures and out of an abundance of caution they will no longer be doing this work moving forward.”
The office stated that they have also reported the potential tampering to the Glacier County Sheriff.
Republican candidate Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), a former Navy SEAL, is currently predicted to defeat Democrat Senator Jon Tester (D-Mont.) come November, according to recent polls.
“This video is incredibly damning,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee spokeswoman Maggie Abboud in a statement. “Jon Tester and Senate Democrats know they are losing to Tim Sheehy, so it appears they are trying to cheat in the election.”
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