Phenix City council candidate arrested on voter fraud charges, police say
A candidate for Phenix City Council for district 3 has been arrested on multiple voter fraud charges, the Phenix City Police Department announced Thursday.
Jamar Gayles was arrested Thursday and charged with two counts of attempt to commit absentee voter fraud (Class C felony) and one count of conspiracy to commit absentee voter fraud (Class B misdemeanor), according to the news release.
Two women were previously arrested in connection with a PCPD investigation into potential absentee voting fraud in the Alabama town.
Police had previously arrested Thalia Jenkins Hardin and Valerie Carter and charged both with multiple absentee voting violations, the Ledger-Enquirer reported. Both women now face additional charges, according to the release.
Hardin and Carter had advised investigators they were volunteering for Gayles, according to the Aug. 13 news release from PCPD.
PCPD’s Thursday news release says Harden faces additional charges of four counts of absentee voter fraud (Class C felony) and one count of absentee voter violations (Class A misdemeanor).
Carter faces additional charges of five counts of absentee voter fraud (Class C felony) and one count of absentee voter violations (Class A misdemeanor), according to the release.
The release said the investigation is ongoing.