Iranian sex offender able to vote without ID in Michigan: OMG

An undercover investigation by James O’Keefe’s media company found that non-US citizens from Iran were allowed to vote in the Michigan primary without ID.

O’Keefe Media Group (OMG) journalists reportedly investigated two Michigan registered voters whose noncitizen status was identified through Department of Homeland Security (DHS) records. One of the individuals, Afshin Masheli, is an Iranian national who was previously featured on DHS’ “Worst of the Worst” list, which shows non-citizens who have been arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement for serious criminal offenses.

Masheli is listed as a registered sex offender.

“OMG proved that at Masheli's assigned polling location, election workers confirmed a voter registration under his name appeared in the poll book and stated that a registered voter listed there could cast a ballot,” the media company said in a statement. “Our undercover journalist spoke to Afshin Masheli himself and Masheli said he planned to vote later that day.”

Fazlollah Haritash, another non-US citizen, was also identified as a registered voter. An election worker at the polling location associated with Haritash’s voter registration confirmed that his name was listed on Michigan’s voter rolls.

The investigation comes after Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon sent a letter in July to Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, which highlighted how knowingly retaining noncitizens on the state’s voter registration list and issuing ballots to these individuals violates the National Voter Registration Act.

“This investigation should make you question how U.S. voter registration records are maintained and whether individuals identified in federal records as non-U.S. citizens remain registered to vote,” OMG added. The organization also published a response by DHS, which said that the agency is “actively working on this.”