Thread by @JoeBrunoWSOC9

Day 2 thread of the #NC09 hearing starts now @wsoctv

NCSBE's first witness of the day is Michele Maultsby #NC09

Maultsby is a poll worker in Bladen County. She was the chief judge at her precinct #NC09

Maultsby says she wasn’t there when two other poll workers signed the tape- the tape showed th election results from early voting. She says she personally didn’t see the results in advance and didn’t see anyone see the results #NC09

Maultsby says two one-stop workers wanted to know the results at the end of the day. She says this wouldn't be proper and doesn't think they did #NC09 @wsoctv

Maultsby says the Bladen County Board of Elections Director asked her who leaked the early voting results. Maultsby said she didn't know. "Not on my watch." #NC09

Maultsby with a great quote, "everybody in Bladen County is related." #NC09

NCSBE member Dr. Stella Anderson asks Maultsby if she understands its improper to run the tape at that time, Maultsby said she knows now. She didn't learn this until after she was interviewed by NCSBE investigators #NC09 @wsoctv

Maultsby is finished. NCSBE is now calling Coy Mitchell Edwards, who was a poll worker with Maultsby when the the early voting tape was run improperly #NC09

It’s Mitchell Edwards’ job to run the tape. He says after he did it on the final early voting day- he looked at the results of the sheriff’s race. He says no one asked him what the results were #NC09

Edwards is finished for now. He will be back because McCready's attorney has questions about the placement of the sheriff's race on the tape. #NC09

Next witness is Agnes Willis. She produced the affidavit about the results being run before they should have #NC09

Willis says she heard a guy say "oh my God." She she looked back she said she saw Tojie King looking at the tape and the results of the sheriff's race. Willis says King said, "I thought the black guy had this." #NC09

Willis says all of the poll workers with the exception of the judge, Michele Maultsby, saw the early voting results ahead of time-- the interest was the sheriff's race #NC09

Mark Harris' attorney is questioning Willis about how her affidavit was produced. Willis says she never met the attorney (Matthew Dixon) before he called her. She didn't know he was coming to her house to get an affidavit. She doesn't know who he was working for #NC09

So far today:

- There are concerns some early voting results may have leaked early but no one knows who leaked them or even if they leaked at all
- The tape was run before it was supposed to.
- According to testimony, everyone except one worker viewed the Sheriff results #NC09

We are on a brief break. I’m live at Noon on @wsoctv with a recap of this morning’s testimony #NC09

NCSBE is questioning Agnes Willis again. Questions now are centered on her signing as a witness on several absentee ballots and potentially collecting one. Willis denies she ever collected any ballots #NC09

Mitchell Edwards is back to answer questions about the election results tape #NC09

The lawyers are now observing Mitchell Edwards fold the tape to how he observed the sheriff election results #NC09

Mitchell Edwards is an unaffiliated voter but says he voted in the republican primary #NC09

Mitchell Edwards says he never heard King talk about the election results. He also says he never heard anyone express surprise at what they saw on the tape #NC09

And that concludes this morning's proceedings. It's lunch time. NCSBE is taking a break until 1:45. When asked if the executive director has a quick witness, she said no #NC09

🚨 We're back and Red Dome founder Andy Yates is taking the stand #NC09 #ncpol @wsoctv

Andy Yates is the founder of Red Dome. His firm worked for the Mark Harris campaign and hired and paid McCrae Dowless #NC09

Yates say prior to 2017 he was knowledgeable to absentee ballot laws. He says most of the campaigns he has been involved with have had an absentee ballot program #NC09

Yates says in past campaigns, he and his team would use publicly available information to send campaign materials to people who requested absentee ballots #NC09

Prior to 2018, Yates worked at least three campaigns in Bladen and Robeson-- Brandon Jones, robocalls for Jim McVicker and a candidate for #NC07. He also worked on statewide races #NC09

Yates served as the general consultant and strategist for the Mark Harris campaign #NC09

NEW: Andy Yates says McCrae Dowless was hired by the Mark Harris campaign before he came on. Dowless was paid a monthly fee-- he was also paid per each absentee ballot request form submitted. #NC09

Andy Yates did not require a receipt from McCrae Dowless for reimbursements #NC09

Andy Yates says he never set foot in McCrae Dowless' office #NC09

Andy Yates says he first met McCrae Dowless in late June/ early July 2017. He said Dr. Harris told him about Dowless and before that he didn't know of him #NC09

NEW: Andy Yates says McCrae Dowless told him at no times would his workers touch or mail an absentee ballot. He said his workers would visit people with absentee ballots and encourage them to vote for Mark Harris #NC09

Yates says McCrae Dowless sounded like somebody who knew the law well and had approached the proper authorities in Bladen County to make sure he was okay to be doing what he was doing #NC09

All of Mark Harris' campaign staff was paid through Red Dome, including McCrae Dowless #NC09

Andy Yates says McCrae Dowless started having his workers solicit absentee ballot request forms for the 2018 primary a short time after he met with him in June/July 2017-- the ED of NCSBE notes that's really early #NC09

Andy Yates did not have a written agreement or contract with McCrae Dowless #NC09

Andy Yates says he thought McCrae Dowless was a done deal before he came on to the campaign #NC09

NCSBE is asking Andy Yates about these invoices are for. Yates thinks this was his monthly payment as well as payment for his absentee ballot request forms. Yates says Dowless was working in Bladen, Robeson and Cumberland Counties #NC09

Andy Yates says he was not aware of any work by McCrae Dowless with the Bladen Improvement PAC. Yates says Dowless accused them of being crooked. "He hated them." Yates says he was shocked to hear of Dowless' relationship with them #NC09

Andy Yates says he got the sense that McCrae Dowless had workers who worked all the time and some who just worked a day or two #NC09

Andy Yates says McCrae Dowless sometimes came to his Huntersville office to pick up his checks. McCrae didn't like his checks mailed to him #NC09

Andy Yates says McCrae Dowless never asked to be paid in cash #NC09

NEW: Andy Yates says at no time during the campaign did anyone express concern that McCrae Dowless was doing anything illegal #NC09

Adding to the thread:

https://twitter.com/JoeBrunoWSOC9/status/1097945816994627585

After hearing testimony yesterday about Dowless paying people to pick up ballots, Yates says "I don't know what to believe." #NC09

Andy Yates says during the campaign he never received any complaints that McCrae Dowless was doing something improper #NC09

NCSBE is presenting the payment log from Red Dome to McCrae Dowless #NC09

Andy Yates says no one one the Harris campaign expressed concerns about the invoices provided to McCrae Dowless #NC09

Andy Yates says McCrae Dowless had an absentee ballot program in Columbus County in addition to Bladen and Robeson. Columbus is not in the 9th District #NC09

Andy Yates says he would communicate with Dowless very frequently. Yates called Dowless "a needy person" and a political junkie #NC09

Andy Yates says he believes McCrae Dowless would talk to Mark Harris frequently as well. Yates says Dowless isn't comfortable with computers and would very rarely text. #NC09

Andy Yates says Dowless would call him early in the morning. Yates says they talked about a variety of numbers frequently, primarily absentee ballot requests #NC09

NCSBE is showing texts messages between Andy Yates and McCrae Dowless. Yates sent a link to an article about NCSBE seizing absentee ballots #NC09

Yates says after the certification was withheld, McCrae Dowless maintained his innocence and blamed the investigation on Jens Lutz and Joshua Malcolm being out to get him #NC09

Yates says he cut off communication with Dowless after he realized the scope of the allegations #NC09

Yates says McCrae Dowless waved at him yesterday--- their first communication in two months #NC09

NCSBE is showing emails between Andy Yates and Mrs. Harris. The email was about how many absentee ballot requests were generated in Robeson County #NC09

Andy Yates guesses McCrae Dowless had a couple of dozen people working for the primary. He only remembers a person named Jennifer who specifically worked for him #NC09

For the general election, Andy Yates says he doesn't know how many workers McCrae Dowless had #NC09

NEW: Andy Yates says he was told by Dr. Harris that McCrae Dowless had minor criminal issues related to his divorce from 20 years ago. He googled Dowless and found three misdemeanor charges from 20 years ago-- he believed they could be related to a divorce #NC09

Andy Yates says he was not asked to run a criminal background check on McCrae Dowless. As a rule, Yates does not run a background check on contractors #NC09

Yates says if he knew about crimes related to Dowless' truthfulness he would not have hired him #NC09

Yates says he was not aware of McCrae Dowless' workers witnessing ballots. He doesn't remember any conversations about Dowless' workers being witnesses for absentee ballots #NC09

Andy Yates says he asked McCrae Dowless if he told his workers to not touch absentee ballots and Yates says Dowless assured him that was the case #NC09

NCSBE is finished questioning Andy Yates. 10 minute break and then it is Marc Elias' turn #NC09

Andy Yates says business community leaders and Judge Marion Warren vouched for McCrae Dowless #NC09

Marc Elias is having Yates look at the 2016 absentee by mail primary results. Mark Harris got 4 votes. Robert Pittenger got 1 vote. Todd Johnson got 221. Johnson hired Dowless. Yates doesn't think this is unusual but can't name another election where this also happened #NC09

Andy Yates says Dr Harris never expressed concern to him that the results of the 2016 primary were suspicious #NC09

Marc Elias is now showing Yates the 2018 primary results. Mark Harris got 437 votes, Robert Pittenger got 17. Yates says "these are the results they expected." #NC09

Andy Yates says Dr Harris and his wife suggested they won because of their efforts in Union and Bladen Counties. He says they felt McCrae Dowless did a good job #NC09

Andy Yates says if he knew of McCrae Dowless’ criminal history he would not have hired him. He says hiring someone with fraud and perjury convictions would be a black eye for the campaign and his business #NC09 @wsoctv

Yates says he would question Mark Harris' judgement if Harris knew of McCrae Dowless' criminal past and still wanted to hire him. He says he doesn't think Harris knew #NC09

Andy Yates says the campaign did not have an election law attorney on retainer #NC09

Andy Yates says McCrae Dowless never observed, witnessed, handled or turned in an absentee ballot. He says he left the part of encouraging people to hand in their ballots to his workers #NC09

Marc Elias is bringing up this email NCSBE presented. It outlines Harris’ strategy to defeat Dan McCready #NC09

Andy Yates says the Harris campaign was running an aggressive campaign in Bladen County in addition to McCrae Dowless' program #NC09

Andy Yates says after yesterday, "I don't know what to believe about McCrae Dowless." He says Marc Elias could tell him anything about Dowless right now and he wouldn't know whether to believe it. He says "I don't know if I can believe anything he ever told me." #NC09

Andy Yates' testimony highlights day two of the #NC09 hearing. Stepping out with @AllisonWSOC9 to be live at 5 on @wsoctv

Back in the room. In the short time I was out Andy Yates said he knows former #NC09 Rep. Robert Pittenger to be a dishonest person

Security wants everyone out of the building by 6. NCSBE Chair just announced we have the room until Thursday now. This hearing is definitely heading to a day 3 #NC09

Andy Yates says he expected more absentee votes in Bladen County for the general election. Overall in Bladen, he thought the campaign under-performed by 2.5- 3 percent #NC09

We are breaking for the day. Tomorrow the hearing will start at 9:15 a.m. Yates will start on the stand and continue to be questioned by Marc Elias #NC09

No comment from Mark Harris as he departed. His attorney is expected to speak to the media shortly #NC09

Marc Elias made it to the gaggle first. He says it is clear McCrae Dowless struck a deal with Mark Harris. He says this is not just a math issue, this is an issue about massive election fraud #NC09

Marc Elias says the evidence presented so far has shown this election is tainted #NC09

Mark Harris’ Attorney Alexander Dale says we have heard no evidence that any voter’s intent on how they wanted to vote has been lost #NC09

Dale says Mark Harris will testify. “He has nothing to hide.” #NC09

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