In recent days, a few pundits and politicians — especially NC Republicans — have compared the #NC09 2018 election fraud scandal to complaints made by NC GOP lawyers about absentee voting in 2016. There are similarities, but also key differences. Thread: 1/
After the 2016 elections in NC, Leslie McCrae Dowless — the suspected absentee ballot fraudster working for @MarkHarrisNC9 in 2018 — and GOP lawyers filed a complaint about absentee voting in Bladen County. 2/
@MarkHarrisNC9 The complaint focused on write-in votes for Dowless’ opponent in a local Soil and Water Conservation District race, which Dowless won. The @NCSBE held a hearing about the complaint on 12/3/16. 3/
@MarkHarrisNC9 @NCSBE At the 12/3/16 hearing, the Dowless/GOP complaint almost immediately fell apart. First, it became clear Dowless didn’t even know what was in the complaint he filed, which was written by GOP lawyers. See this remarkable exchange between Dowless and a @NCSBOE board member. #NC09 
@MarkHarrisNC9 @NCSBE Second, crucially, Dowless and the GOP offered *no witnesses or affidavits from actual voters* affected by the alleged absentee fraud. This is in contrast to the #NC09 case now, with its growing body of affidavits and statements collected by media, lawyers and investigators. 5/
Third, Dowless and the GOP lawyers *did not ask* @NCSBOE for a full investigation into Bladen absentee voting in 2016. They just asked to toss out some 400 ballots with write-in votes for Dowless’ opponent. 6/
It was not lost on the @NCSBOE that the ~400 ballots the GOP lawyers were trying to get tossed in Bladen also included votes for governor-elect Roy Cooper (D), whose victory over Pat McCrory (R) these same lawyers were challenging. But the GOP lawyers didn't mention that. 7/
Finally, in the 2016 @NCSBOE hearing, Dowless bordered on admitting that *he himself* had engaged in absentee ballot fraud, to the embarrassment of the GOP lawyers. More evidence would later emerge about Dowless’ operation: bit.ly/2E75eG5 #NC09 8/
In short, the Dowless/GOP complaint in 2016 was weak and doomed to fail. The GOP-majority board voted 3-2 to dismiss the complaint, including a “no” vote from GOP member Judge James Baker, who agreed there was insufficient evidence to throw out ballots. #NC09 9/
A key point: At the close of 12/3/16 hearing, @NCSBOE board member Joshua Malcolm, who last week was elevated to chair, moved that all the information presented about Bladen County be turned over to the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Eastern District of NC. 10/
It’s unclear what, if anything, the @USAO_EDNC did with the Bladen County info. They appear not to have announced indictments concerning absentee fraud, which voting rights and election reform advocates have long said is the most widespread form of election fraud. 11/
It's not that the U.S. Attorney for Eastern NC — Trump appointee Robert Higdon — wasn't looking at voting problems. In August 2018, his office announced with great fanfare an investigation into non-citizen voting, which led to 19 indictments. bit.ly/2E5Wkso #NC09 12/
Based on those 19 indictments, Higdon's office went on to make a sweeping request for millions of NC voting records, which election officials and voting rights advocates resisted and successfully delayed. #NC09 bit.ly/2KMrHti 13/
