A mail carrier in West Virginia has been charged with attempted election fraud after authorities say he tampered with mail-in ballot requests while on the job.
According to a press release from the Justice Department, Thomas Cooper, 47, was charged after the Clerk of Pendleton County received eight “2020 Primary Election COVID-19 Mail-In Absentee Request" forms from voters that appeared to have been altered.
Five of the primary ballot requests appear to have been changed from “Democrat” to “Republican,” while on the other three requests, the party wasn’t changed, but the request itself had been altered.
The DOJ said that not only was Cooper responsible for the mail delivery on the routes to the towns from which all the requests were mailed, but also that he admitted to tampering with at least some of the forms.
“According to the affidavit, Cooper admitted to altering some of the requests, saying it was a joke,” the DOJ said.
Cooper has now been charged with “Attempt to Defraud the Residents of West Virginia of a Fair Election.”
The charge comes as many Democratic lawmakers have pushed for a mail-in election in November, citing the coronavirus pandemic and the need for "social distancing" and physical health and safety. Republicans, including President Donald Trump, have pushed back on the idea of letting people vote by mail en masse, saying the entire election would be susceptible to rampant fraud and abuse.