Video obtained by Fox News appears to show a Democrat operative tampering with an election ballot drop box in Montana, prompting an accusation by local election officials to the Montana Secretary of State.
The operative, identified by authorities as Laszlo Gendler, has been paid by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), according to OpenSecrets.org, as Montana Talks reported. The DSCC is working to help incumbent Democrat Senator Jon Tester against GOP senatorial candidate Tim Sheehy.
Richie Melby, the Communications Director for Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen, told Montana Talks, “The Glacier County election administrator contacted our office expressing serious concern over surveillance footage that appeared to show an individual ‘tampering’ with a ballot box. Our Elections Director contacted the election administrator, who confirmed that the individual in the footage is Laszlo Gendler. The name of the suspect and details were turned over to Glacier County law enforcement. Our Elections Director was pleased that the individual was not able to remove the ballot box from the wall, although the activity was obviously highly suspicious and concerning.”
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Crystal R. Cole, the Election Administrator for Glacier County, had emailed the Montana Secretary of State this notice:
Glacier County has put up two Official Mail Ballot Drop Boxes, one at our Satellite Office in Browning and one at the Glacier County Detention/Dispatch Entrance, both under 24/7 surveillance. Yesterday, on October 20th, at 10:25:05, Laszlo with the MT Democratic Party was on camera tampering with the Box. I did call him to ask him what his reasoning was, he stated “they” sent him to the location to see how secure the box was. The MT Democratic party did not notify the Elections office in any way to state they would be sending someone to the Ballot Box to see how secure it was, so on camera it looks like he was tampering with the box.
The Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen issued a statement on the video that, “Footage has emerged of a D.C. Democratic staffer tampering with a ballot drop box in Glacier County.”
“This isn’t speculation — it is on camera…we are currently investigating this matter with the help of law enforcement and will continue to observe the actions of the Democratic Party of Montana under close watch.”
After the initial publication of this story, it was reported by KRTV that Gendler was brought in for questioning by law enforcement but released. Glacier County Attorney Terryl Matt said after an investigation, it was not a “legitimate attempt to tamper with the ballot box or the electoral process.”
“After a review of the evidence, including the footage, we have determined that the issue is unsubstantiated,” the attorney said. “The behavior captured in the video does not constitute a legitimate attempt to tamper with the ballot box or the electoral process. Glacier County takes all potential instances of election tampering seriously and investigate them to ensure the integrity of our democratic process.”
The DSCC said its operative was checking to make sure the ballot box was “secured to the wall,” and that it has relieved the employee of his services after the incident.
“Poll observers are not instructed to touch ballot boxes,” a spokesperson told KRTV. “Gendler was attempting to ensure a new ballot box was secured to the wall.”
An October New York Times/Siena poll showed Sheehy leading Tester 52-44; the last five polls of the race show Sheehy winning by between six and eight points. Republicans currently hold 49 seats in the Senate; a gain of two seats would give them the majority, which is crucial in many votes, including the confirmation of any Supreme Court judges.
This piece has been updated with new information on the local investigation into Gendler to make clear that he was not found to have made a legitimate attempt to tamper with the ballot box.
