Project Veritas exposes ‘illegal electioneering’ in NYC mayoral race—county interpreter fired within hours

New York state election law 17-130(4), "Misdemeanor in relation to elections," prohibits "[e]lectioneer[ing] on Election Day or on days of registration within one hundred feet, as defined herein, from a polling place."

New York state election law 17-126(1) and (2), "Misconduct of election officers," prohibits an "election officer" from revealing "to another person the name of any candidate for whom a voter has voted" or even communicating "his opinion, belief or impression as to how or for whom a voter has voted."

An investigation by Project Veritas shows two polling station workers appearing to break New York state law on June 22, the official primary date for the city's Democrats in the mayoral race, by offering opinions and personal views regarding specific candidates who were on the ballot for mayor.

One particular disclosure may also have resulted in the firing of county interpreter Rafael Rivera who told one of the undercover Project Veritas journalists to vote for New York City mayoral candidate Dianne Morales, while at a polling station located at 319 Stanhope Street in Brooklyn.

Rivera states on camera: "[Brooklyn Borough President Eric] Adams is a person who is chairman of the board and hasn't done anything about all that is going on."

"You know. I'm going with the Latina," Rivera can be heard stating. "I'm conservative but [Morales] has all the five points—demolished [Adams] too at the debate. She demolished him there when she told him he was president and he hasn't done anything for the borough, for Brooklyn."

After recommending Morales to the Project Veritas undercover journalist and making the case against Adams, he admits he isn't supposed to share personal beliefs with the voters. "I would suggest that I'm not supposed to. But under the understanding that [Morales] has the views of the conservatives," Rivera says.

At one point, the Project Veritas reporter presses Rivera to affirm the stance. "Rafael, I forgot. Who did you tell me to vote for again?" the journalist asks. "Oh, for Diana Morales." To which, Rivera replies, "Yeah."

A different undercover Project Veritas journalist converses with Rivera and asks who he thought deserves the reporter's vote. When the journalist mentions Morales, the poll worker responds, "That's good."

Hours after, Bushwick polling coordinator Christina Tejeda informed Project Veritas that Rivera was terminated from the interpreter position the same day.

When the Bushwick site coordinator is asked about Rivera's behavior, Tejada says he was was fired from the post earlier in the day following reports detailing the poll worker's potential illegal actions.

"As soon as I found out an everything else, he was let go at 2:31 [p.m.]," Tejada told Project Veritas. "He hasn't been back in the building."

During another incident at the Washington Heights polling station located at 99 Fort Washington Ave, New York, an undercover Project Veritas journalist captured footage of information clerk and poll worker Latishia Norman, who may have also violated multiple electioneering laws. "Me? I voted for Eric," she states.

Norman says in the clip that her brother had worked on the Adams campaign, being the primary reason for why she voted for the frontrunner.

At first Norman says the ultimate choice is up to the voter, however, she then admits that the observation is an "opinion" she's giving, despite knowing that she is "not supposed to" engage with voters in that manner.

Poll worker Scott A. Bradley, who is also featured on the tape, confirms the fact that poll workers are not allowed to share advice whatsoever on which candidates voters should cast ballots for. "I mean, we can't advise on any candidates while we're here," Bradley tells Project Veritas.

Project Veritas has reached out to the State Attorney General's office, the Brooklyn District Attorney's public integrity line, the New York City Board of Elections and the U.S. Attorney's office for the Southern District of New York but has yet to receive any response to the multiple requests for comment.