Former Utah Postal Worker Indicted After Hundreds Of Mail-In Ballots Allegedly Dumped

Authored by AG News Staff via American Greatness,

A former U.S. Postal Service worker has been federally indicted after prosecutors say he discarded roughly 300 mail-in ballots meant for Utah voters ahead of the state's June primary election.

Damon Matai Seei, 34, of Payson, was indicted by a federal grand jury Sept. 16 on a charge of unlawful secretion, destruction and delay of mail. He was arrested Tuesday and appeared in federal court in Salt Lake City.

According to prosecutors, Seei was working as a letter carrier June 3 when he was responsible for delivering mail to at least 300 residents in Eagle Mountain. His deliveries included advertisements and hundreds of mail-in ballots for the June 23 primary.

Federal authorities allege Seei instead discarded mail, including the ballots, in a dumpster in a church parking lot. A Justice Department court filing says Seei later told investigators he threw away the mail to "lighten his workload."

Several voters subsequently complained that their ballots had not arrived. Authorities are investigating whether affected residents obtained replacement ballots or were ultimately able to vote.

Seei told investigators he had no political motive, according to officials.

"When American voters lawfully cast their vote, they should feel confident that it is counted," Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter said. "Allegedly throwing away hundreds of ballots is a serious federal crime that undermines the integrity of our elections."

The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General and Homeland Security Investigations jointly investigated the case. Seei's next court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 30.