Brenda Lee Brown Armstrong to Plead Guilty in $2-$3 Vote Registration Scheme
Updated
Updated · CBS New York · May 18
Brenda Lee Brown Armstrong to Plead Guilty in $2-$3 Vote Registration Scheme
10 articles · Updated · CBS New York · May 18
Brenda Lee Brown Armstrong, 64, agreed to plead guilty to a federal felony after prosecutors said she paid homeless people in Los Angeles to register to vote.
Prosecutors said the longtime petition circulator offered $2 or $3, cigarettes and prepaid phone gift cards, and often used her former LA address on forms because many recruits lacked permanent housing.
The charge carries a maximum five-year prison sentence, though her actual punishment under the plea deal remains unclear; she is expected to enter the plea in coming weeks.
Justice Department officials said the case grew out of an undercover video posted by James O'Keefe and signaled more election-fraud cases are coming, even though no specific election was tied to Armstrong's conduct.
How does a single fraud case in Los Angeles influence nationwide election security policies?
What technologies are election officials adopting to secure voter registration systems from manipulation?
Can voter registration be secured without creating new barriers for vulnerable populations like the homeless?