Voting fraud in Election 2012: How common is it? (+video)

The son of Rep. Jim Moran has resigned from his father's campaign for apparently condoning voter fraud. In the lead-up to Election Day 2012, both Democrats and Republicans have had such episodes.

By Brad Knickerbocker, Staff writer / October 25, 2012

Voters cast their votes through absentee ballots for the Nov. 6 election at the town hall in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, Thursday.

Robert F. Bukaty/AP

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With less than two weeks before Election Day, charges of voter fraud continue to mount up.

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The latest involves the son of US Rep. James Moran (D) of Virginia – Patrick Moran, Representative Moran’s campaign field director – shown on a secretly taped video apparently discussing a plan to use forged documents to cast ballots for 100 registered voters who seldom vote.

The video was shot by an individual working for controversial conservative activist James O’Keefe, best known for his undercover work leading to the demise of the community organizing group ACORN.

In the latest video, Patrick Moran is shown going along with a man posing as a campaign worker who urges the use of voter fraud. At first Mr. Moran suggests the man’s time would be better spent on the campaign’s legal get-out-the-vote effort, but then he is drawn into discussing ways to fraudulently pad voting rolls, including the use of forged utility bills.

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Patrick Moran quickly resigned from his father’s campaign.

“At no point did I take this person seriously,” he said in a statement. “He struck me as being unstable and joking, and for only that reason did I humor him. In hindsight, I should have immediately walked away, making it clear that there is no place in the electoral process for even the suggestion of illegal behavior: joking or not.”

Mr. O’Keefe’s methods – including posing as a pimp in the ACORN case – have been criticized, especially by liberals targeted by his organization Project Veritas. In 2010, O’Keefe and three colleagues were arrested for illegally entering the offices of US Sen. Mary Landrieu (D) of Louisiana. O’Keefe pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor, for which he was sentenced to three years' probation, 100 hours of community service, and a $1,500 fine.

Still, he’s had a clear impact on electoral politics.

“This is a fact, and it will [make liberals mad], but: James O'Keefe has had more of an impact on the 2012 election than any other journalist,” writes Slate political reporter David Weigel.

Responding to the Moran episode Thursday, Democratic National Committee chairwoman Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D) of Florida said her party has “zero tolerance” for voter fraud.

“It’s just indefensible and [Patrick Moran] was right to resign,” Representative Wasserman Schultz said on CNN.