CANTON, Miss. — A former congressional candidate has been sentenced for voter fraud.
Cobby Williams opposed Bennie Thompson in 2012 in Mississippi’s 2nd congressional district race and a year later, ran for alderman in Canton. During that campaign, District Attorney Michael Guest said Williams went door-to-door registering people to vote and then gave the paperwork to the Madison County clerk’s office. Among those he registered was Pamela Walker, who Guest said told Williams she was a convicted felon and could not vote in elections.
“The crime was Mr. Williams knew Ms. Walker was not eligible to vote and still attempted to register her to vote by turning in the forms to the circuit clerk,” said Guest. “Electoral fraud can reduce voters’ confidence in democracy and we will always prosecute those who try to illegally manipulate an outcome of an election. Even the perception of fraud can be damaging as it makes people less inclined to accept election results and fosters mistrust in our system.”
Williams pleaded guilty to one count of voter fraud and was given a five year suspended sentence. He will serve five years’ supervised probation.
