State investigating voter fraud complaints

By Jill Harmacinski

 LAWRENCE — A state elections official confirmed an investigation of “multiple complaints” of voter fraud and irregularities reported after the city’s preliminary election on Sept. 16.

Topping the ballot is the mayor’s race with incumbent Brian DePena being challenged by Juan “Manny” Gonzalez, a Lawrence firefighter and community activist.

The state is expected to send monitors for the Nov. 4 General Election. A mandatory meeting for all candidates will also be held in the near future, said City Clerk Eileen Bernal.

Both campaigns are also expected to bring in their own poll watchers on election day.

Secretary of State William Galvin’s office, in a recent email, confirmed that possible voter fraud and irregularities with Lawrence’s Sept. 16 preliminary election are being investigated.

“We’ve received multiple complaints regarding candidate and campaign conduct that negatively impact voters and may have violated state laws, which we are continuing to review,” wrote Michelle Tassinari, director and legal counsel for the Elections Division at Galvin’s office, in a Sept. 24 email to city officials.

Tassinari said no conclusions have been reached. State officials, she wrote, “have consistently remained impartial over the many years in which we’ve been working with the city of Lawrence relative to elections.”

“We are committed to ensuring that all legally qualified voters have a fair and unimpeded right to exercise their franchise in a manner consistent with state and federal law,” she said in the email. “Our focus has been and continues to be on ensuring that the voters of Lawrence have the ability to vote with confidence and free from interference. As such, we expect to meet with the City Clerk and Election Department to review plans for early voting in person and for Election Day to make sure the candidates and campaigns are aware of the rules and regulations governing conduct.”

Among the allegations are that mail-in ballots were harvested at elderly living complexes by supporters of Mayor Brian DePena.

Prior to the preliminary election, on Sept. 12, a handwritten voting complaint was sent to the city’s election division.

A man wrote that he left the store El Pilon and headed to 353 Elm St., “where the old people’s building is”, where he saw two women leaving the building. One of the women had a large red purse.

“They say they are collecting the old people’s votes and filling them out themselves. We need to investigate the people who open the door and work there. They should keep an eye on all the old people’s buildings in Lawrence,” the man wrote.

The Gonzalez campaign also said they received complaints about voters being improperly approached outside the polls.

Both DePena and Gonzalez have picked up public endorsements in recent weeks.

Recently, Gonzalez was backed by Methuen Mayor D.J Beauregard and Haverhill Mayor Melinda Barrett. On Friday, Lawrence City Councilor Stephany Infante endorsed Gonzalez. Other high-profile endorsements are expected, campaign officials said.

On Thursday, DePena held a campaign luncheon at Salvatore’s restaurant where he touted 50 endorsements, including State Auditor Diana DiZoglio, U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan, D-Westford, Clerk of Courts Thomas Driscoll, state Sens. Barry Finegold and Pavel Payano and state Reps. Estela Reyes and Frank Moran.

Christopher Keohan, Gonzalez’s general consultant and campaign strategist, was critical of those who endorsed the incumbent.

“Brian DePena has a pile of evidence showing his campaign committing voter fraud,” Keohan said. “Anyone knowing this and still supporting him is willfully endorsing that fraud. Democrats will continue to see Latinos, union members and other key building blocks of our coalition flock away if this is the ‘leadership’ they intend to show.

“If the Congressional Co-Chair of the Democratic Policy & Communications Committee, State Auditor who has consistently made the promise to ‘shine a bright light on the dark corners of government’ and the District Attorney responsible for investigating the clear voter fraud happening in Lawrence all lack the political will to stand up to a corrupt mayor and endorse him instead, it speaks volumes,” Keohan added.

Lawrence city councilors voted not to use mail-in ballots during the same week a former city councilor went to jail for voter fraud and Gonzalez’s campaign compiled a list of potential voting illegalities after the preliminary election. Former District A City Councilor Fidelina Santiago was sentenced to six months in jail after pleading guilty to voter fraud charges.

Santiago’s charges stemmed from an incident Oct. 16, 2023, at a residence in the 600 block of Howard Street. A Ring camera captured images of a woman exiting Santiago’s car and “walking to the front porch … and removing multiple/brown manila envelopes from a mailbox before returning to the defendant’s automobile.”

Lawrence voters can cast ballots in person from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Nov. 4, avail themselves to early voting sessions at City Hall from Oct. 25 to Oct. 31 or apply beforehand for an absentee ballot.

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