Woman Who Received 5-Year Sentence in Voter Fraud Case Is Acquitted
New York TimesAPR 2024
Texas: Woman Sentenced for Voter Fraud Is Acquitted
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The Spin
Democratic narrative
This is a win for voting rights, particularly for Black voters whom Republican-led states wish to make voting harder. Several Republicans have been convicted of far more egregious voter fraud, including a Georgia GOP vice chairman who voted nine times — but unlike Mason, he was given no prison sentence, only a $5K fine. The party that claims to care about voter fraud is letting its own members off the hook while giving criminals from their team a slap on the wrist.
Republican narrative
While Democrats will try and spin this into a civil rights issue, the truth is that Ms. Mason only completed three of her five years in prison, the following two of which she was still a convicted felon and couldn't vote. Mason, who upon her release swore not to lie about her felon status, was part of a growing problem in Texas, which continued years later when the state prosecuted over 30 cases in 2018.