Arizona U.S. Attorneys, FBI ready to protect voters in 2014 elections

United States Attorney John S. Leonardo announced this week that Assistant United States Attorneys (“AUSAs”) Dominic Lanza and Raymond K. Woo will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming Nov. 4, 2014, general elections. AUSAs Lanza and Woo have been appointed to serve as the District Election Officers (“DEOs”) for the District of Arizona, and in that capacity they are responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses.

Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them.

In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. In Arizona, the local FBI field office can be reached by the public at (623) 466-1999.