North Carolina Republican owes $34,310 for disputed ballot and turnout work

LUMBERTON, N.C. — The congressional campaign of Mark Harris disclosed late Thursday that it owed more than $34,000 in connection with an absentee ballot and voter turnout operation that has prompted fears of election fraud and called the North Carolina Republican’s narrow victory into question.

In a filing with the Federal Election Commission, Harris’ campaign listed an obligation of $34,310 for “reimbursement payment for Bladen absentee, early voting poll workers; reimbursement door to door.” The disclosure form said the campaign owed the money to Red Dome Group, the Charlotte-area consulting firm that Harris hired for his campaign.

Red Dome, in turn, contracted with L. McCrae Dowless Jr., a Bladen County political operative who has been accused of collecting absentee ballots from voters in a potentially illegal effort to tip the election toward the Republican nominee.

The postelection FEC filing did not detail precisely how Red Dome spent the money, including how much of it was paid to Dowless or anyone he recruited for his operation, which witnesses said involved canvassers collecting absentee ballots in apparent violation of state law. But the line item was at least one indication of the Harris campaign’s aggressive political focus on Bladen County, which has a population of about 33,000 people and represents a fraction of the sprawling 9th District.

The payment is likely to be of interest to state investigators, who this week served a subpoena to a lawyer for Red Dome. North Carolina officials have not made the subpoena public, but any findings could be released when the state Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement holds an evidentiary hearing on or before Dec. 21.

Preliminary returns in the House race, which state officials have refused to certify, show Harris with a lead of 905 votes over his Democratic opponent, Dan McCready.

Red Dome has not responded to requests for comment. Harris’ campaign has denied wrongdoing, and no one is known to have been charged with a crime in connection with the efforts that Dowless oversaw this year.

The Harris campaign filed its disclosure at the end of a tumultuous day during which McCready withdrew his concession to Harris and Republican leaders began to speak publicly about the possibility of a new election, even as they expressed confidence in Harris’ integrity.

The New York Times

North Carolina Republican owes $34,310 for disputed ballot and turnout work

LUMBERTON, N.C. — The congressional campaign of Mark Harris disclosed late Thursday that it owed more than $34,000 in connection with an absentee ballot and voter turnout operation that has prompted fears of election fraud and called the North Carolina Republican’s narrow victory into question.

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