Federal Arrest Over 2022 Mail-In Ballot Fraud Scheme

Summary

In New Jersey, political operative Craig Callaway, known for his vote-turnout expertise, faces felony charges for mail and ballot fraud. Callaway, a former Atlantic City council president, allegedly paid individuals to act as unauthorized messengers for mail-in ballots, misrepresenting voters' wishes. The indictment reveals a scheme that potentially manipulated the 2022 general election, casting doubt on the integrity of the democratic process and prompting calls for legislative reform.

Takeaways

• 🏛️ Craig Callaway, a political operative and former Atlantic City council president, was arrested on felony mail and ballot fraud charges.
• 📬 Callaway was known for his expertise in mail and ballots, and was once described as a 'vote turnout expert' at a fundraiser event.
• 📈 He has a history of working with both Democratic and Republican candidates, depending on who he believed best represented his views.
• 🗳️ Callaway is recognized as one of the best get-out-the-vote organizers in America, with a significant impact on local elections.
• 💼 His work was lucrative, with Congressman Jeff Van Drew paying him $135,000 for a few months of work leading up to the November 2020 election.
• 📊 Callaway was arrested for alleged voter fraud related to the November 8th, 2022 general election, involving fraudulent mail and ballots.
• 🤝 He allegedly paid individuals to act as unauthorized messengers for mail-in ballots, without the voters' knowledge or consent.
• 🛑 The indictment details a scheme where Callaway and his associates instructed messengers to submit mail-in ballots to them instead of the actual voters.
• 🚫 The practice of paying people to act as ballot messengers is currently not illegal in New Jersey, leading to calls for new legislation.
• 📋 The charges against Callaway carry a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if found guilty.
• 📆 Callaway is currently free on a $50,000 unsecured bond and is awaiting trial.

Q & A

Who is Craig Callaway and what is his background?

Craig Callaway is a political operative who was the former president of the Atlantic City city council. Born in 1959 in Atlantic City, he worked as a PBX operator and hotel clerk before moving to the municipal office of Atlantic City government. He is known for his work with merchants, taxi and parking lot owners, many of whom were immigrants from Asian countries. Callaway is recognized as a vote turnout expert and has been involved in local politics, supporting candidates from both the Democratic and Republican parties.

What is the significance of Craig Callaway's role in local elections?

Craig Callaway is known for his influence in local elections. He has been successful in electing candidates he works for, regardless of their party affiliation. His vote turnout techniques have been recognized nationally, and he has been involved in various campaigns, including those for mayoral and congressional elections.

What charges has Craig Callaway been arrested for?

Craig Callaway has been arrested on felony mail and ballot fraud charges. These charges stem from his operations in Atlantic City, particularly related to his work on mail and ballots during the November 8th, 2022 general election.

What was the nature of the alleged fraud involving Craig Callaway?

The indictment alleges that Callaway and others approached individuals in Atlantic City, promising to pay them $30 to $50 to act as pre-prepared authorized messengers for voters who supposedly wished to vote by mail. These messengers were given applications filled out by Callaway or his subordinates and were instructed to submit these at the county clerk's office. The indictment claims that many of the mail and ballots collected by Callaway were cast in the names of people who did not authorize them to do so.

What was the process described in the indictment for the alleged fraud?

The process involved Callaway and his subordinates recruiting individuals to act as messengers, transporting them to the county clerk's office, and providing them with identification to complete the authorized messenger portion of the vote by mail application. These messengers would then submit the applications, wait for approval, and receive mail-in ballots. Instead of delivering these ballots to the actual voters, they would hand them back to Callaway or his subordinates in the parking lot.

What is the maximum penalty for the charges against Craig Callaway?

The charges against Craig Callaway for procuring, casting, and tabulating fraudulent ballots carry a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

What was the role of the messengers in the alleged fraud?

The messengers were allegedly paid by Callaway to act as runners. They would submit absentee ballot applications at the county clerk's office, wait for them to be processed, and then receive real mail-in ballots. Instead of delivering these ballots to the voters, they would hand them directly to Callaway or his subordinates in the parking lot.

How did the Atlantic County Republican Party respond to Callaway's arrest?

The chairman of the Atlantic County Republican Party, Michael Sullan, released a statement acknowledging that candidates from both parties had hired Callaway in the past. He also stated that he would use Callaway's arrest as an opportunity to lobby for new laws banning the practice of paying people to act as ballot messengers.

What is the current status of Craig Callaway after his arrest?

As of the time the script was written, Craig Callaway is free after posting a $50,000 unsecured bond. He has not issued any statements on the matter and is awaiting trial.

What is the broader implication of this case on the electoral process in New Jersey?

The case highlights potential vulnerabilities in the electoral process, particularly in the area of mail-in voting. It has sparked discussions about the need for stricter regulations and possibly new laws to prevent similar instances of fraud in the future.

Outlines

00:00

🏛️ Political Operative's Arrest for Mail and Ballot Fraud

Craig Callaway, a former Atlantic City council president known for his expertise in mail and ballots, has been arrested on felony charges related to mail and ballot fraud. Callaway, who has a history of working both with Democratic and Republican candidates, allegedly engaged in fraudulent activities during the November 2022 general election. The indictment details a scheme where Callaway and his associates paid individuals to act as unauthorized messengers for mail-in ballots, collecting them from the county clerk's office and handing them over without delivering them to the intended voters. This case highlights the potential for abuse in the electoral process and has led to calls for legislative changes to prevent such occurrences in the future.

05:00

🚨 Scheme Exposed: Unauthorized Messengers and Ballot Fraud

The indictment against Callaway reveals a systematic approach to election fraud. Approximately one month before the November 8th, 2022 election, Callaway and his team recruited individuals with offers of payment to act as messengers for mail-in ballots. These individuals were given identification and vote by mail applications filled out by Callaway's team, without the messengers' knowledge of the voters they purportedly represented. Once the applications were processed and ballots received, the messengers were instructed to hand them over to Callaway or his subordinates instead of delivering them to the voters. Surveillance footage and witness statements support the allegations that many of these ballots were cast without the voters' knowledge or consent, undermining the integrity of the election process.

10:03

📜 Legal Ramifications and Calls for Electoral Reform

The arrest of Craig Callaway has significant legal implications, with charges carrying a potential penalty of up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. While Callaway maintains his innocence and is currently free on bond, his case has sparked a debate on electoral practices. The Atlantic County Democrat Party chairman, Michael Sulan, has called for lobbying efforts to ban the practice of paying individuals to act as ballot messengers, which is currently legal in New Jersey. The case serves as a reminder of the need for vigilance in protecting the sanctity of elections and the importance of continuous review and improvement of electoral laws.

Keywords

💡Political Operative

A political operative is a person who is involved in the practical aspects of politics, often working behind the scenes to influence the outcome of elections or political decisions. In the video, Craig Callaway is described as a political operative who has been arrested on felony charges related to mail and ballot fraud, indicating his role in manipulating election processes.

💡Felony Mail and Ballot Fraud

Felony mail and ballot fraud refers to serious crimes involving the misuse of mail or ballots in an election, which can include forging signatures, tampering with ballots, or deceiving voters. The script details the arrest of Mr. Callaway on these charges, stemming from his alleged operations in Atlantic City, emphasizing the severity of election tampering.

💡Atlantic City

Atlantic City is a city in New Jersey, known for its casinos and as a setting for political activities mentioned in the video. It is where Mr. Callaway has been operating and where the alleged fraudulent activities took place, making it central to the narrative of election fraud discussed in the video.

💡Vote Turnout Expert

A vote turnout expert is someone who specializes in increasing voter participation in elections. Mr. Callaway is described as such an expert, with a history of working on various campaigns to boost voter turnout, although the video suggests his methods have been questionable and are under investigation.

💡Authorized Messengers

Authorized messengers are individuals who are designated to pick up and deliver mail-in ballots on behalf of voters. The script alleges that Mr. Callaway recruited people to act as unauthorized messengers, promising payment, and used them to fraudulently obtain and handle mail-in ballots.

💡Midterm Election

A midterm election is a general election held halfway through a president's term, often used to determine the balance of power in Congress. The video discusses Mr. Callaway's alleged fraudulent activities in the context of the 2022 midterm elections, which is when the charges against him were filed.

💡Indictment

An indictment is a formal charge or allegation made against someone accusing them of a crime. The script mentions a 10-page indictment document outlining the investigation and findings against Mr. Callaway, which is a key piece of evidence in the case against him.

💡Voter Fraud

Voter fraud is the illegal interference with the election process, such as voting multiple times, voting on behalf of others without authorization, or tampering with ballots. The video's theme revolves around allegations of voter fraud committed by Mr. Callaway and his associates during the election process.

💡Mail-in Ballots

Mail-in ballots are a method of voting where eligible voters can cast their votes by mail instead of going to a polling station. The script describes how Mr. Callaway allegedly misused mail-in ballots as part of his fraudulent activities, showing the vulnerability of this voting method to fraud.

💡Partisanship

Partisanship refers to strong support for a particular party, often to the exclusion of others. The video notes that Mr. Callaway initially supported only Democratic candidates but later expanded his support to any candidate, regardless of party, reflecting a shift from strict partisanship to a more flexible approach in his political activities.

💡Lobbying

Lobbying is the act of attempting to influence decisions made by officials in government. The script mentions that the chairman of the Atlantic County Democrat Party plans to lobby for new laws banning the practice of paying people to act as ballot messengers, showing an attempt to change legislation in response to the alleged fraud.

Highlights

A political operative in New Jersey, Craig Callaway, has been arrested on felony mail and ballot fraud charges.

Callaway is a former president of the Atlantic City city council and is known for his expertise in mail and ballots.

He has a history of working with both Democratic and Republican candidates, depending on who he believes best represents his views.

Callaway is recognized as one of the best get out the vote organizers in America.

In 2001, he helped elect Democrat Lorenzo Langford as Atlantic City mayor and later ran for office himself, winning as a ward councilman.

Callaway applied his vote turnout techniques for John Kerry during the 2004 presidential election.

In 2013, he helped unseat Langford and elect Republican Don Guardian as mayor in Atlantic City.

In 2020, Callaway worked for both Amy Kennedy (Democrat) and Jeff Van Drew (Republican), demonstrating his non-partisan approach.

Callaway's work is lucrative, with Congressman Van Drew paying him $135,000 for a few months of work leading up to the November 2020 election.

Callaway was arrested in February for his role in procuring, casting, and tabulating fraudulent mail and ballots in the November 2022 general election.

The indictment alleges that Callaway and others approached individuals in Atlantic City, offering them $30 to $50 to act as unauthorized messengers for mail-in voting.

Callaway and his associates used these individuals' identification to complete vote by mail applications, which they filled out themselves.

The supposed messengers would then submit these applications at the county clerk's office and receive mail-in ballots.

Instead of delivering the ballots to the voters, the messengers handed them directly to Callaway or his subordinates in the parking lot.

Many of the mail and ballots collected were cast in the names of people who confirmed they did not vote in the 2022 general election.

The indictment includes examples of voters who were interviewed and confirmed they did not vote, despite having ballots cast in their names.

Surveillance footage from the county clerk's office allegedly shows the fraudulent activities taking place.

Callaway has not issued any statements on the matter and is currently free after posting a $50,000 unsecured bond.

The chairman of the Atlantic County Democrat Party has called for new laws banning the practice of paying people to act as ballot messengers.

The specific charges against Callaway carry a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Transcripts

over in the state of New Jersey a

political operative has been arrested on

felony mail and ballot fraud charges

stemming from the operations that he's

been running over in Atlantic City for

years and the details of this particular

case and these operations are

fascinating and so let's go through them

together right after you take a super

quick moment to smash those like And

subscribe buttons so that this

information can reach ever more people

via the YouTube algorithm now to start

with the political operative in question

here is Mr Craig Callaway the former

president of the Atlantic City city

council and locally Mr Callaway is seen

as something of an expert in mail and

ballots in fact at a fundraiser that a

nonprofit in New Jersey was hosting and

where Mr Callaway spoke he was described

in the invitation letter for the event

as a vote turnout expert and also in the

body of the promotional material for the

fundraising event enticing people to

come they gave a brief outline of Mr

Callaway's personal history as well as

his General electoral history and here's

what they wrote quote Craig Callaway was

born in 1959 in Atlantic City as one of

nine children during the early 1980s

Callaway worked as a PBX operator and

hotel clerk for the Resorts

International and haris casinos then he

worked in the mertile office of Atlantic

City government for the next 23 years

Callaway quickly earned the reputation

for being fair and helpful to the

merchants bus taxi and parking lot

owners and operators he worked with many

of them were recent immigrants from

India Pakistan Bangladesh and other

Asian countries over the years many of

them developed a rapport with Craig hway

and began helping each other politically

when he first got involved in politics

Craig Callaway applied his skills and

methods to elect only candidates

affiliated with the Democratic party

however during the past 20 years

Callaway has chosen to support

candidates who he believes best

represent his views and interests

regardless of party and indeed looking

at his General track record it appears

that Mr Callaway has something of a mest

touch when it comes to local elections

the synopsis continued quote Craig

Callaway is recognized and respected as

one of the best get out the vote

organizers in America in 2001 Callaway

then ran the out the vote Drive in both

the primary and general elections to

elect Democrat Lorenzo Langford as

Atlantic city mayor in that same year

Callaway ran for office himself and was

elected wart councilman from the Third

Ward of Atlantic City in 2004 Craig

Calloway received National recognition

when he applied his vote turnout

techniques for John KY during the bush

KY presidential election and then just

as that earlier part of the synopsis

mentioned Mr cway didn't appear to

discriminate between Republicans and

Democrats when offering his Services

quote in 13 Craig Callaway helped unseat

Democrat Lorenzo Langford and elect

Republican Don Guardian as mayor in

Atlantic City a town with an

overwhelming majority of democratic

voters in 2020 Callaway helped Amy

Kennedy when she was a candidate for the

Democratic party nomination for the

House of Representatives in South Jersey

Amy Kennedy defeated Callahan Harrison

in the Democratic primary election in

June however when Kennedy did not hire

Callaway for the November election

Callaway worked for Jeff Van Drew who

had just switched to the Republican

party that January van Drew won

re-election as a republican in November

of 2020 and by the way it's worth

mentioning that this work is quite

lucrative for Mr cway evidenced by the

fact that Congressman van Drew paid Mr

Callaway a cool

$135,000 for just a few months of work

leading up to the November election the

summary continues quote last November

Callaway helped Republican Tokyo Janu

upset incumbent Democrat Eric Sheffer to

win election as Atlantic County Sheriff

Callaway also helped Republican Jesse

Curts win a landslide re-election to

City Council in the mostly Democrat

Sixth Ward of Atlantic City and so that

is if nothing else an incredibly

impressive resume it appears that Mr

Callaway is able to elect whoever he

works for regardless of the challenges

present in the Electoral environment in

fact here was how Mr Callaway was

described in a recent article that was

published in the Philadelphia Inquirer

quote Callaway's vote by mail efforts

are well known in Atlantic City where he

basically sets up shop in the clerk's

office in Maz Landing fairing Messengers

in a white van to obtain mail and ballot

for voters he has previously defended

his actions as working within the state

mail and ballot laws his influence was

profound and in fact along that line of

his influence the chairman of the

Atlantic County Republicans summed it up

quite succinctly quote he can make or

break an election however in terms of

how Mr Callaway was able to achieve

these amazing results well we now have

some Clues because in February of this

year Mr Callaway was arrested and

charged with Federal voter fraud related

to his work on mail and ballots and

alongside the actual indictment there

was a short statement released by the US

attorney's office in New Jersey which

said the following quote Mr Craig

Callaway was arrested today for his role

in procuring casting and tabulating

fraudulent mail and ballots submitted in

the November 8th 2022 general election

now in terms of the specifics of what

the feds were actually able to uncover

well there was a 10-page indictment

document that was released to the public

outlining both the investigation as well

as the finings you can see the charging

document up on your screen right now and

this indictment alleges that while

working on Congress van Drew's

re-election campaign in the year 2022

well here's what happened quote

approximately 1 month before the

November 8th 2022 general election

Callaway and others working at

Callaway's Direction approached numerous

individuals in Atlantic City promising

to pay them $30 to $50 to act as

prepered authorized Messengers for

voters who supposedly wish to vote by

mail okay so just to pause here and

summarize approaching the date of the

actual midterm election Mr Calla and his

associates would search for people in

Atlantic City and allegedly offer them

somewhere between 30 $50 for a single

day's work he wouldn't really explain to

them what the day's work would entail

only that they would be acting as

Messengers for election related matters

and so then once Mr Callaway found

enough of these Messengers they would go

and post up at the local County Clerk's

Office quote Mr Callaway and a

subordinates further offered to

transport these individuals to and from

the county clerk's office to perform

this voting related work upon arriving

at the parking lot of the county clerk's

office an individual who accepted

Callaway's offer for work would meet

with Callaway Callaway subordinates or

on occasion both and provide Callaway or

Callaway subordinates with their

identification Callaway or Callaway

subordinates used the identification to

complete the authorized messenger

portion of the vote by mail application

and then provided the individual with

multiple applications that Callaway or

his subordinates had only moments

earlier filled out the majority of these

purported Messengers were unfamiliar

with the role of an authorized messenger

and did not know the voters listed on

the vote by mail applications for whom

they were supposedly serving as

authorized Messengers and so allegedly

these supposed Messengers would be given

these applications that were filled out

right there on the spot in the parking

lot by either Mr Callaway himself or by

one of his subordinates then these

so-called Messengers would then head on

over to the quote Atlantic County

Clerk's Office carrying anywhere from 1

to 4 completed vote by mail applications

as instructed by Mr Callaway or his

subordinates these individuals provided

County Clerk's Office Personnel proof of

identification and sign the vote by mail

applications in the authorized messenger

portion before handing these signed

applications to the office Personnel The

purported Messengers waited while office

Personnel processed the applications and

if the applications were approved

provided to The purported Messengers

mailin ballots for the voters listed on

the application all right just to pause

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and so in short these Messengers were

allegedly being paid by Mr Callaway to

essentially just be Runners they would

be given these absentee ballot

applications right there in the parking

lot they would then take those

applications inside to the county

clerk's office they would submit the

applications they would wait for them to

be processed and then once they were

processed these Messengers would be

handed real mail in ballots now in New

Jersey state law requires that a

messenger must deliver the mail in

ballot that they received from the clerk

directly to the voter who actually

requested that ballot and then the

messenger must certify that they

delivered the ballot to the actual human

voter but according to the indictment

that's not what happened here instead

after these Messengers received the mail

and ballots from the county clerk's

office they left that office and handed

the ballots directly to either Mr

Callaway or to one of his subordinates

right there in the parking lot after

which the indictment claims that the

following happened quote many of the

mail and ballots collected by Callaway

or his subordinates were ultimately cast

in the names of people who have

confirmed that they did not vote in the

2022 general election either in person

or by submitting a mail and ballot and

that they did not authorize Callaway or

his subordinates or anyone else to cast

ballots for them many of these mail and

ballots were counted towards in the

election meaning that the allegation

here was that Mr Callaway and his

associates were voting on behalf of

people who did not authorized them to do

so and or weren't even aware that this

was happening and the indictment has

quite a few examples of Voters who the

feds interviewed and who told the

investigators that they definitely did

not vote in the 2022 election even

though technically they did There's also

surveillance footage from the county

clerk's office which again allegedly

shows this all taking place now as

always everyone here in America is

innocent until proven guilty and these

are after all just the charges that Mr

Callaway was arrested on he has yet to

be found guilty of anything and

therefore he should be presumed innocent

until he has his day in court now the

specific charges against them which is

the procuring casting and tabulating of

fraudulent ballots carries a maximum

penalty of 5 years in prison as well as

a $250,000 fine and it is also worth

noting that the charges here stem only

from the November 2022 midterm election

not from any of the prior elections

before that and as of right now Mr

Callaway has not issued any statements

on this particular matter at the moment

Mr Callaway is free after he posted a

$50,000 unsecured Bond now after his

arrest Mr Michael sulan who is the

current chairman of the Atlantic County

Democrat Party he released a statement

saying this in part quote it's no secret

that candidates from both parties have

hired Callaway in the past to help them

win elections those who hired him cannot

plead ignorance now everyone in Atlanta

County knows exactly what Callaway's

operation is and the blatant illegality

of it all he further added that he will

be using this arrest as an impetus to

Lobby both the state legislature as well

as the governor's office to pass new

laws explicitly Banning the practice of

paying people to act as ballot

Messengers which for your reference is

currently not illegal in the state of

New Jersey now whether that lobbying

effort will go anywhere is anyone's

guess in the meantime Mr Callaway will

be having his trial later this year and

I'll bring you any updates as they're

made available otherwise in the meantime

if you would like to read the full

indictment for yourself which I would

recommend it's actually pretty

interesting and includes a lot of

details in terms of the investigation

I'll throw a link to the pdf version of

it you'll be able to find it down in the

description box below

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