Viral social media posts have claimed that the mayor pro tempore of a California town pleaded guilty to election fraud:
This tweet came on the heels of an article from fringe right-wing publication the Epoch Times. The Epoch Times article detailed the arrest of Alex Campbell, the mayor pro tem of Crescent City, California, who violated state election law by not living in Crescent City. This reporting originated with local news outlets.
The Epoch Times article is true. Lying about one’s eligibility to hold office indeed constitutes election fraud. But social media posts that highlight only his guilty plea and his resignation are missing context. Posts that attempt to draw a parallel between Campbell’s crime and the false allegations of election fraud that followed the 2020 presidential election are misleading. Campbell has not been charged with ballot tampering, manipulating any vote counts, or altering the outcome of the election.
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