Congressman Mike Lawler announced on May 21 the introduction of the End Fraudulent Filings that Interfere with Elections Act, also known as the EFFIE Act. The proposed legislation would amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, making it a federal felony for candidates or their employees to submit fraudulent signatures or documents required for ballot access.
The EFFIE Act aims to address concerns about election integrity by imposing penalties of up to $250,000 in fines, up to five years in prison, or both for those found guilty of violations.
Lawler said the bill was introduced following reports that hundreds of his constituents in New York’s 17th district were illegally signed onto ballot petitions without their knowledge. “This is identity theft. Unfortunately, the biased New York State court system is not taking full action against the perpetrators. With these petitions impacting who appears on a ballot for a federal office, the federal government itself should have jurisdiction. No one is above the law, and no one defrauds New Yorkers and gets away with it,” said Congressman Lawler.
He further addressed broader challenges facing election security: “From partisan gerrymandering across the country to the growing threat of artificial intelligence generating disinformation and bias in America’s marketplace of ideas, this is a pivotal year for election integrity. I’ve seen firsthand in my own district how this petition fraud racket is rotting our federal elections from the inside, continuing to erode the trust constituents place in the process and undermining the very foundation of democracy,” concluded Lawler.
According to information provided by his office, Lawler represents New York’s 17th Congressional District just north of New York City and has been rated as one of Congress’s most bipartisan members.
