Former County Elections Official Hit With Corruption Charges Around 2020 Election

A former Virginia elections official has been hit with corruption charges, including multiple felonies, from the office of Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares.

Michele White, who was the elections registrar for Prince William County from 2015-2021, was charged with corrupt conduct as an election official, making a false statement, and willful neglect of duty in the months around the November 2020 election.

The alleged criminal actions “did not impact the outcome of any election contest,” according to Eric Olsen, the general registrar and director of elections for Prince William County, Virginia’s second most populous county.

Miyares, a Republican, initiated an investigation in White following the reporting of “discrepancies” from Olson earlier this year to the Virginia Commissioner of Elections and the State Board of Elections. White had resigned from her position in March 2021.

“The Electoral Board and new director of elections have built an entirely new leadership team that is dedicated to fair and accurate elections,” Olsen said in a statement. “Many improvements and best practices have been adopted to ensure a safe and transparent voting experience for the voters of Prince William County.”

The alleged corrupt actions took place from August-December 2020, according to officials. White also is accused of making a false statement during November 3-10, 2020. Miyares’ office did not provide any additional details about the charges against White.

White, who had previously been an official in Culpeper County, gave no explanation to why she had stepped down from her position in March 2021.

According to the Prince William Times, the White’s resignation came after an emergency meeting by the county’s electoral board. Electoral Board Secretary Keith Scarborough said that the meeting had pertained to White’s time with the election’s office.

During the 2020 presidential election, President Joe Biden won Prince William County by a large margin, earning nearly 63% of the vote.

In recent months, Miyares’ office has also been involved in another elections dispute as former Virginia deputy attorney general Monique Miles announced a suit last month against several Virginia officials. Miles claims that she was fired over her viewpoints related to the January 6 riot.

Miles was out at the office after the Washington Post uncovered a Facebook post where she said on January 6, “News Flash: Patriots have stormed the Capitol. No surprise. The deep state has awoken the sleeping giant.”

She claims that the office fired her and that she did not resign as was widely reported at the time.

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