Ohio Attorney Convicted of Election Fraud for Voting Twice in General Elections
A Shaker Heights attorney, James Saunders, has been found guilty of election fraud for voting twice in the last two general elections. Saunders, who donated to ex-President Donald Trump’s campaign, was convicted of two counts of illegal voting, a fourth-degree felony. The 56-year-old will now be sent to county jail to await his sentencing hearing on August 28.
During the trial, it was revealed that Saunders had cast ballots in both Ohio and Florida in the 2020 presidential election and the 2022 general election. Further investigation showed that he had also illegally voted twice in the 2014 and 2016 general elections, but prosecutors could not charge him for those votes due to the statute of limitations.
Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley expressed his disappointment in Saunders’ actions, stating that this was the only instance of a person actually voting twice in the county in several years. It appears [Saunders] felt he was smarter than the system, O’Malley said. He was wrong.
Saunders now faces a range of penalties, from probation to three years in prison. The sentencing hearing will determine the appropriate punishment.
The trial, which lasted just one day, included testimony from three witnesses – elections officials from Cuyahoga County and Broward County, Florida, and an Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations agent who examined the case. However, Saunders did not take the stand or present any witnesses of his own.
Saunders had argued that he accidentally cast two ballots, claiming he did not mean to commit a crime and that he should not be prosecuted in Ohio for a vote he cast in Florida. Judge Andrew Santoli rejected these arguments, stating that the evidence clearly showed Saunders’ intentional voting in multiple states.
The witnesses testified that Saunders voted in person at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections in October 2020 and requested an absentee ballot be delivered to an address he used in rural Virginia. However, the Broward County elections official confirmed that the absentee ballot was not delivered. Cellphone tower data also placed Saunders at his Virginia address on November 1, 2020, before he drove to Broward County and cast his ballot in person on Election Day, November 3, 2020.
In the 2022 general election, Saunders again voted twice – once by mail in Florida and once in person at his precinct in Shaker Heights. The witnesses provided clear evidence of his actions.
Interestingly, Saunders’ name was among several submitted to the Ohio Attorney General’s office for prosecution by the Ohio Secretary of State’s office. However, he is the only person to have been charged in Cuyahoga County for several years.
Federal Elections Commission filings revealed that Saunders made multiple small donations to Trump’s reelection campaign and super-PACs supporting Trump’s candidacies. He also made recurring donations to the National Republican Congressional Committee and WinRed, the GOP’s fundraising platform. However, all of these donations were under $100.
The convicted attorney’s case has once again highlighted the claims of widespread election fraud made by Trump and some of his GOP supporters. Despite officials from both parties stating that such fraud did not occur, Trump has continued to assert that it was a factor in his loss to President Joe Biden in the 2020 election.
Saunders’ conviction serves as a reminder that no one is above the law and that attempts to manipulate the democratic process will be met with severe consequences. As the legal proceedings continue, it is essential to uphold the principles of fair and honest elections, ensuring that every vote counts and that the integrity of the electoral system remains intact.
