"Charges against multiple individuals, including Mr. McCrae Dowless, who was hired by the Harris campaign, remain pending, and investigators continue probing other areas of evidence." Dowless oversaw an absentee ballot harvesting scheme that sent people door to door in Bladen and Robeson counties to get voters to request absentee ballots, which is legal. Then operatives went back to collect the actual ballots, which is illegal under North Carolina law due to tampering concerns.
Dowless has apparently run
this sort of operation for years in Bladen County for politicians on both sides of the aisle. His participation in Harris' 9th District campaign two years ago became national news and led to changes in state absentee ballot laws, as well as the do-over election.
Harris, a Charlotte minister, initially fought calls for a new election, but he reversed course
after his son testified against him during State Board of Elections hearings last year.
"I am personally grateful for the detailed investigation by the Wake County District Attorney and the cooperating federal and state agencies to finally restore my reputation," Harris said in a statement. "I trust the investigators will continue their work so North Carolina voters can be assured that their vote counts in a system that follows the rule of law."
A special election was held in September, and Congressman
Dan Bishop
, a former state lawmaker from Mecklenburg County, now represents the district. Dowless
faces a number of
criminal charges. He's
running for re-election this year to the local soil and water conservation board.