Associated PressAssociated Press
FILE - Leslie McCrae Dowless Jr. poses for a portrait outside of his home in Bladenboro, N.C., Dec. 5, 2018. Dowless, the key player in a North Carolina absentee-ballot fraud case that led to a new congressional election, died Sunday, April 24, 2022, his family announced. (Travis Long/The News & Observer via AP, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

The key player in the North Carolina Absentee ballot fraud probe that led to a do-over congressional election has died.

His daughter wrote on a social media post that her father passed away peacefully on Sunday. Jay DeLancy told The Associated Press that he died of lung cancer at his daughter's home in Bladen County. He was in his 60s.

The political operative was going to go on trial this summer on a number of state criminal counts related to the 2016 general election and the 2018 primary and general elections. Six others were also charged.

The witnesses told state officials that they saw hundreds of Absentee ballots in Bladen County. Workers testified that they were told to collect blank or incomplete ballots, forge signatures on them, and even fill in votes for local candidates.

The results of the general election for the 9th Congressional District were thrown out and a new vote was ordered by the State Board of Elections.

Mark Harris was the Republican candidate in the congressional race. No charges were filed against Harris, who didn't run in the election.

The charges related to the 2016 elections were brought against him.

While receiving a six-month prison sentence for federal crimes involving benefits fraud that was unrelated to the broader state probe, health became an issue.

The reporting date was delayed after his defense attorney said that he had a stroke in August and that he had a potential cancer diagnosis in the fall.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons never reported that she was in custody.

The state and federal attorneys didn't reply to emails on Sunday. The Absentee Ballot case against him is over.

The inability to bring Dowless to trial sooner was caused by legal delays caused by COVID-19.

While expressing her sympathies to the family of the man who was the principal in the investigation, she said her office would proceed with the prosecution of other defendants.

All of the other cases were derived from what the state thought was his master plan and coordination. She said that each individual case would be evaluated.

In November, the state charges were charged with a refusal to accept a plea agreement. He was charged with obstruction of justice, perjury, and possession of absentee ballots.

DeLancy said that he wanted the chance to defend himself against the state's indictments, and rejected the plea deal in hopes of being given his day.

DeLancy said in a text message that the man was quick to trust and even love others by his acts of service.

In June of last year, he pleaded guilty to obtaining illegal Social Security benefits while concealing payments for political work.

There is a

The story has been changed to show that a plea agreement was declined in November.

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    Absentee mail-in voting is allowed in North Carolina. From start to finish, we have compiled all the information you need.

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    There was an election fraud scandal in Bladen County. He died while awaiting trial.

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