McCrae Dowless Told Worker In Absentee Ballot Plot To Plead the 5th

FILE - In this Dec. 5, 2018, file photo, Leslie McCrae Dowless Jr., poses for a portrait outside his home in Bladenboro, N.C. State investigators have described Dowless as a “person of interest” in their probe in... FILE - In this Dec. 5, 2018, file photo, Leslie McCrae Dowless Jr., poses for a portrait outside his home in Bladenboro, N.C. State investigators have described Dowless as a “person of interest” in their probe into 2018 voting irregularities involving absentee ballots. (Travis Long/The News & Observer via AP, File) MORE LESS
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Things are heating up in Raleigh.

During Monday’s North Carolina Board of Elections hearing on alleged election fraud in the 9th district, worker for political operative McCrae Dowless Lisa Britt testified that he told her to plead the 5th Amendment since “they have nothing on us,” per NPR affiliate WFAE. 

Obviously, she ignored that advice.

She said that Dowless, who is like a father to her, gave her explicit directions so she wouldn’t get caught, like making sure to affix the stamp correctly on the ballot return envelope and changing up the witness signature.

She said that Dowless’ employees got around $150 to $175 for every 50 absentee ballot request forms illicitly collected.

For context, the Republican candidate Mark Harris is a mere 905 votes up in the still-uncalled race.

Earlier on Monday, the elections board director called the alleged absentee ballot scheme “coordinated” and “unlawful.”

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