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Local activist arraigned on election law violations

Thompson claims charges are political witch hunt
Posted at 8:30 PM, Jun 16, 2016
and last updated 2016-06-18 08:36:13-04

Local community activist Rus Thompson has been arraigned on election law violations.

Thompson is accused of registering to vote in 2015 for the primary election on Grand Island by affidavit vote, claiming he lived on Grand Island.  But, according to the District Attorney's Office, the 60-year-old had actually moved to the City of Niagara Falls the year before.

As a result, investigators claim Thompson was able to vote in the Grand Island September 2015 primary, the 2015 general election and the presidential primary in April.

If convicted, Thompson faces anything from a conditional discharge to four years in prison.

Thompson has claimed the charges are linked to a political witch hunt in an effort to get him off  Grand Island.