A New York school district has been directed to hold a new election following allegations that a district clerk destroyed ballots in an effort to influence the outcome for the incumbent candidate.
The controversy centers on April Keys, the district clerk for the Hempstead Union Free School District on Long Island, who is accused of tearing up ballots and helping remove them from her office to benefit board president Victor Pratt’s reelection bid.
According to a district petition filed with the state Education Department and cited by the New York Post, surveillance footage allegedly showed Keys throwing shredded ballots into a dumpster. The petition also claims she gave absentee ballots to Pratt, a local DJ, so they could be disposed of.
Pratt ultimately won the race by just 81 votes. The results drew scrutiny because he dominated absentee voting with 87 percent of those ballots, while placing third in machine voting with 27 percent, The Post reported.
Keys was placed on administrative leave three days after the election. That same day, District Superintendent Gary Rush discovered a garbage bag containing stolen, torn-up ballots, according to the petition.
The bag was later thrown out by a custodian as the locks on Keys’ office door were being changed. The custodian subsequently directed investigators to the bag, which was found sitting in about a foot of water, the petition stated.
Investigators found that the bag contained ballots cast for both Pratt and his leading challenger, Gwendolyn Jackson.
Jackson’s campaign coordinator also alleged in the petition that he delivered 120 completed early mail ballots to Keys’ office, but only 79 of them were included in the final count.
District Clerk April Keys allegedly tore up ballots and helped smuggle them out of her office to make Victor Pratt win
Pratt was also seen carrying ballots out of the office, which he denied remembering doing, a petition said
Investigators also accused the custodian of being prepped by Keys to get rid of the ballots, as surveillance footage caught him leaving her office with a bag of visible ballots, the petition said.
‘Ms. Keys told him to use a different staircase because the security aide stationed at the bottom of the staircase by the administrative offices would ask questions and it ‘risked appearing suspicious,’ it said.
Pratt was also caught on surveillance footage allegedly carrying 125 absentee ballots, which he denied remembering doing in the petition.
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Investigators also said they allegedly found some ballots written in the same handwriting and accused the pair of forgery.
The Nassau County District Attorney’s Office is now investigating the election, while the district gears up to host another for the position, The Post reported.
Keys could face criminal charges.
A new date for the election has not been set, but State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa ordered the election must take place within 60 days.
‘The Board appreciates the Commissioner’s expeditious review of this matter, which enables the District to move forward with the revote in accordance with the Commissioner’s ruling,’ the district told The Post.
District officials found ripped up ballots in a garbage bag in the dumpster
Ballots for both Pratt and his main competitor was found
The district has also accused the custodian on being in cahoots with Keys to get rid of ballots
Neil Boyd has also been appointed as the temporary clerk to oversee the election. Boyd is the current superintendent for Putnam-Northern Westchester BOCES.
The district launched an internal investigation after it discovered irregularities in the trustee election.
The Daily Mail has reached out to the district, Pratt, and Keys for comment.
