Thread by @JuddLegum

1. Wow. There is a subplot to the election fraud scheme unfolding in North Carolina that is absolutely insane.

This is DEEP in the weeds, but worth it.

Let's go.

2. So Jeff Smith owns a "video sweepstakes" business in Bladen County, which is apparently a place you an go and win money for playing video games.

The head of the Bladen County GOP, Landon Bordeaux, goes to Smith and says that he's about to get raided by the current sheriff.

3. But Bordeaux says, there's an out. If Jim McVicker wins the 2014 election for sheriff, Smith will be in the clear.

Bordeaux asks Smith to give McCrae Dowless $4000 IN CASH to help McVicker win. So Smith does it.

And it works. McVicker wins by 350 votes!

4. But Smith gets stabbed in the back. McVicker raids his video-sweepstakes operation BACKED UP BY HELICOPTERS. Smith is pissed.

5. But apparently Smith does not blame McCrae Dowless, who, after all, did what he what he was supposed to do (If you overlook breaking N Carolina law)

Smith agrees to let McCrae Dowless use an empty office in a building Smith owns to run his absentee ballot operation for Harris

standby have to take a phone call

6. OK, I'm back. So anyway everything is going swimmingly between McCrae Dowless and Smith until Smith finds out that McCrae Dowless isn't just running his (probably illegal) absentee ballot operation for Harris -- he's also helping Smith's arch nemesis McVicker!

7. This is apparently when Smith and McCrae Dowless become "former friends." So when the current controversy erupts, Smith is more than happy to dime out McCrae Dowless to the Washington Post.

Shows them the desk where Dowless sat and recieved the absentee ballots from his crew

8. Smith basically describes a whole bunch of illegal conduct by McCrae Dowless in fairly devastating fashion

Well, someone (I don't know who, but maybe McCrae Dowless) wasn't happy about that

Today, an even more devastating story emerged on Smith

9. The story on Smith involves a meeting that occurred during the 2018 primary. Smith was supporting Billy Ward in the GOP Primary to oust McVicker.

At this point, he's not working WITH McCrae Dowless, he's on his own now

At some point he attended a meeting & left behind NOTES

10. So today, one day after Smith dimed out McCrae Dowless to the Washington Post, these notes, written by Smith, make their way into the hands of a North Carolina reporter

And they show Smith cooking up a scheme to pay CASH for UNSEALED ABSENTEE BALLOTS

11. Smith was clearly desperate to oust McVicker. But he's not as good at rigging absentee ballots as McCrae Dowless.

McVicker defeated his opponent and is still sheriff.

Where is goes from here -- I have no idea.

A lot of the details in this story come from a great New Yorker article that came out a couple hours ago so, I also recommend reading that: newyorker.com/news/news-desk…