Rep. Steve Watkins (R-KS) has been charged with three felony counts for allegedly lying about his address when he registered to vote, according to KSNT:

“Watkins came under investigation by the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office after allegations that he listed a Topeka UPS store for his address when voting in the 2019 general election.

“The investigation was delayed significantly due to the coronavirus shutdown, Kagay said. But his office maintained constant contact with the sheriff’s office and received regular updates on the gathering of documents and statements.”

As a result of the investigation, Watkins was charged with three felonies and a misdemeanor:

  • Interference with law enforcement, providing false information
  • Voting without being qualified
  • Unlawful advance voting
  • Failing to notify the DMV of change of address

In a statement, Shawnee County Sheriff Brian Hill explained why his office had turned the case over to prosecutors:

“In December of 2019, the Shawnee County Sheriffs Office began an investigation as to whether Congressman Steve Watkins had violated certain voting laws in Shawnee County, Kansas. After an investigation and review of documents and records from several sources, the investigative findings were submitted to the Shawnee CountyDistrict Attorney for review. The charges filed by the District Attorney are reflective of thefactual allegations that were discovered by detectives during the course of this investigation.”

President Donald Trump has repeatedly attempted to claim that Democrats are committing voter fraud on a massive level across the nation, though he has yet to provide a speck of evidence to support such allegations. He has also criticized absentee voting, claiming that it leads to fraud, and yet he and his family vote by mail in almost every election. Additionally, the president says millions of undocumented immigrants cast ballots in the 2016 election though he has never proven that claim.

The first hearing for Rep. Watkins is scheduled for December 3.

Featured Image Via NBC News