# Trump's campaign chief engages in voter fraud **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [August 26, 2016, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-campaign-chief-engages-in-voter-fraud/764025 "2016-08-26T17:11:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-campaign-chief-engages-in-voter-fraud/764025/1 "2016-08-26T17:11:32Z")
[Well, I guess voter fraud is a real thing](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/aug/26/steve-bannon-florida-registered-vote-donald-trump) - Republicans are going out of their way to prove it. Bannon is registered to vote in Florida. At a house he has never lived in. His ex-wife did, but they divorced 7 years ago. The house is currently vacant, and will be demolished soon. Bottom line - it does not look like Bannon is legally entitled to vote in Florida. How many more Republicans are pulling this scam and illegally voting in this important swing state? > [@](#): > > Wilfully submitting false information on a Florida voter registration – or helping someone to do so – is a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison. > > Election officials in Miami-Dade make clear to prospective voters that they are required to actually live in the county and to use their home address in election paperwork. “You must reside in Miami-Dade County,” their website states. It adds: “When you register to vote, an actual residence address is required by law.” ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-campaign-chief-engages-in-voter-fraud/764025/2 "2016-08-26T17:12:32Z")
If he voted, there may be a problem. If he didn’t vote in Florida, is there a problem? ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-campaign-chief-engages-in-voter-fraud/764025/3 "2016-08-26T17:18:22Z")
> [@](#): > > Wilfully submitting false information on a Florida voter registration – or helping someone to do so – is a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison. He never lived in the house. His voter registration says he did. He lied on his Florida voter registration. Lock him up! ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-campaign-chief-engages-in-voter-fraud/764025/4 "2016-08-26T17:20:42Z")
Why would you register to vote in a state where you have never lived, if not intending to vote fraudulently in that state? ? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-campaign-chief-engages-in-voter-fraud/764025/5 "2016-08-26T17:36:00Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > He never lived in the house. His voter registration says he did. He lied on his Florida voter registration. > Lock him up! This is rather cut and dried. He lied, people died.\* - - I’m not saying he _caused_ them to die. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-campaign-chief-engages-in-voter-fraud/764025/6 "2016-08-26T17:39:31Z")
> [@raventhief](#): > > Why would you register to vote in a state where you have never lived, if not intending to vote fraudulently in that state? ? To later prove residency and file taxes in Florida, where you pay no state income tax. Still fraud, though. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-campaign-chief-engages-in-voter-fraud/764025/7 "2016-08-26T17:40:18Z")
> [@raventhief](#): > > Why would you register to vote in a state where you have never lived, if not intending to vote fraudulently in that state? ? Taxes. Florida has no income tax (I believe) and very favorable bankruptcy laws regarding home ownership (I believe). I guess this means either he hasn’t voted over the last bunch of years, or did so fraudulently either in California or Florida. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-campaign-chief-engages-in-voter-fraud/764025/8 "2016-08-26T17:51:50Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > [Well, I guess voter fraud is a real thing](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/aug/26/steve-bannon-florida-registered-vote-donald-trump) - Republicans are going out of their way to prove it. > > Bannon is registered to vote in Florida. At a house he has never lived in. His ex-wife did, but they divorced 7 years ago. The house is currently vacant, and will be demolished soon. > > Bottom line - it does not look like Bannon is legally entitled to vote in Florida. How many more Republicans are pulling this scam and illegally voting in this important swing state? It _is_ time for the bi-weekly shake up of the Trump campaign. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-campaign-chief-engages-in-voter-fraud/764025/9 "2016-08-26T17:55:56Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > Taxes. Florida has no income tax (I believe) and very favorable bankruptcy laws regarding home ownership (I believe). > > I guess this means either he hasn’t voted over the last bunch of years, or did so fraudulently either in California or Florida. Would it be tax fraud if you claimed to be resident in a state, but you never lived in the house you claimed as a residence?. I mean, this house was lived in by his ex-wife (divorced 7 years ago). If there a tax regulation he could be charged with it was shown that he really did NOT live in Florida at all, and was merely lying about it in order to get a tax benefit? What are the penalties for lying about residency to claim lower taxes in another state? Of course, this would be above and beyond the 5 years in prison he would get for wilfully submitting false information on a Florida voter registration. I guess this is a case of “It’s not REAL voter fraud if a powerful person engages in voter fraud” ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-campaign-chief-engages-in-voter-fraud/764025/10 "2016-08-26T17:58:37Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > It _is_ time for the bi-weekly shake up of the Trump campaign. I wonder if Jean-Marie Le Pen is free these days. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-campaign-chief-engages-in-voter-fraud/764025/11 "2016-08-26T17:58:59Z")
Seems like speculation to me. Did he vote in FL or not? Did he declare himself a FL citizen for tax reasons, thereby not paying CA taxes? Sorry, but I can think of a number of ways his name ended up on voter rolls without Bannon being complicit in some conspiracy to commit fraud. I’d love for it to be so, but I don’t think this story will shake out that way. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-campaign-chief-engages-in-voter-fraud/764025/12 "2016-08-26T18:00:04Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Would it be tax fraud if you claimed to be resident in a state, but you never lived in the house you claimed as a residence?. I mean, this house was lived in by his ex-wife (divorced 7 years ago). If there a tax regulation he could be charged with it was shown that he really did NOT live in Florida at all, and was merely lying about it in order to get a tax benefit? What are the penalties for lying about residency to claim lower taxes in another state? > > Of course, this would be above and beyond the 5 years in prison he would get for wilfully submitting false information on a Florida voter registration. > > I guess this is a case of “It’s not REAL voter fraud if a powerful person engages in voter fraud” The tax implications seem like they’d be a matter for the state of California (where he lives but presumably doesn’t pay) rather than the feds or Florida. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-campaign-chief-engages-in-voter-fraud/764025/13 "2016-08-26T18:04:39Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Seems like speculation to me. > > Did he vote in FL or not? It oes not matter if he voted or not. It is against the law to willfully fill out incorrect information for voter registration. Dude registered at his ex-wife’s house. Dude never lived there. He lied on his form. > [@](#): > > Wilfully submitting false information on a Florida voter registration – or helping someone to do so – is a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-campaign-chief-engages-in-voter-fraud/764025/14 "2016-08-26T18:07:51Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Would it be tax fraud if you claimed to be resident in a state, but you never lived in the house you claimed as a residence?. I mean, this house was lived in by his ex-wife (divorced 7 years ago). If there a tax regulation he could be charged with it was shown that he really did NOT live in Florida at all, and was merely lying about it in order to get a tax benefit? What are the penalties for lying about residency to claim lower taxes in another state? > > Of course, this would be above and beyond the 5 years in prison he would get for wilfully submitting false information on a Florida voter registration. > > I guess this is a case of “It’s not REAL voter fraud if a powerful person engages in voter fraud” I’m not a lawyer of any sort, but I would guess that the tax fraud, if it exists, would be against California, since he wouldn’t have paid income taxes there due to claiming residence some place else. And, since Florida doesn’t have income tax anyway, I’m not sure you could defraud them(?). (Every time I post in this thread, I get ninja’d by someone!) ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-campaign-chief-engages-in-voter-fraud/764025/15 "2016-08-26T18:26:21Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Sorry, but I can think of a number of ways his name ended up on voter rolls without Bannon being complicit in some conspiracy to commit fraud. I’d love for it to be so, but I don’t think this story will shake out that way. Name any way to end up on voter rolls without specifically filing (and signing) a voter registration form. This isn’t jury duty, where they pull names from various sources. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-campaign-chief-engages-in-voter-fraud/764025/16 "2016-08-26T18:37:05Z")
Of course they tell us that ACORN is dead! But they tipped their hand by trying to make it look like a _Republican_ committed voter fraud! Yeah, right. Connect the dot, people! ---
**Author:** ![Drum\_God](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drum_god/32/44_2.png) [@Drum\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drum_God)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-campaign-chief-engages-in-voter-fraud/764025/17 "2016-08-26T19:02:11Z")
About the tax thing, I don’t understand. Does it matter where a person _lives_ or where the money is _earned_. I live in Texas, which does not have an income tax. However, if I do work in Kansas, which does have an income tax, don’t I owe the State of Kansas income tax on the income I earned in their state, regardless of where I park my car at night? It is conceivable to live in the upper panhandle of Texas and commute to work in the middle of nowhere, Kansas. (I don’t do that, but it is reasonably possible for a person to do that.) I actually own a little bit of stock in a Canadian company. I pay income tax in Canada for the dividends on that stock (the tax is usually a whopping US$4). I then deduct that in my itemized deductions on my US tax return. I know Canada isn’t a state, but doesn’t the same principle apply? ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-campaign-chief-engages-in-voter-fraud/764025/18 "2016-08-26T19:02:32Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Name any way to end up on voter rolls without specifically filing (and signing) a voter registration form. This isn’t jury duty, where they pull names from various sources. This is an honest question: when you are getting a driver’s license do you get a completely different form to register to vote or is it simply a “tick this box to send your information to the elections people”? ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-campaign-chief-engages-in-voter-fraud/764025/19 "2016-08-26T19:06:47Z")
Check out the story on Bannon’s voter fraud, and we’ll give you an extra story on Bannon’s history of DOMESTIC VIOLENCE absolutely free: > **[Reports: New Trump Campaign CEO Faced Domestic Violence Charge In 1996](https://www.npr.org/2016/08/26/491440310/reports-new-trump-campaign-ceo-faced-domestic-violence-charge-in-1996)** > > Stephen K. Bannon, the new Trump campaign chief, is the third top Trump adviser who's landed in hot water during this campaign. It’s turning out to be quite the day at Camp Trump. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-campaign-chief-engages-in-voter-fraud/764025/20 "2016-08-26T19:08:47Z")
[Another interesting tidbit about Bannon:](http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/08/bannons-bad-news/497612/) > [@](#): > > Bannon also lives in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. According to tax records, the D.C. residence “is actually owned by Mostafa El-Gindy, an Egyptian businessman and former member of parliament. Things that make you go “hmmmmm”. Bannon may have just about as much baggage as the previous Trump people who went under the bus… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-campaign-chief-engages-in-voter-fraud/764025.md?page=2)