In a letter to City of Chicago Inspector General Deborah Witzburg, Alderman Raymond Lopez (15th) requested an immediate formal investigation into alleged election fraud by Jason Lee, a senior advisor to Mayor Brandon Johnson.
Lee, allegedly residing in Texas, is accused of voting in the 2024 general election in Texas while also maintaining a residence in Chicago. According to Illinois Policy, Lee cast a ballot in Chicago’s March 2020 primary, but his Illinois voter registration was canceled in September 2023.
“On its face, the narrative provided is, at its best, problematic and, at worst, constitutes felonious election fraud,” Lopez said in his Dec. 6 letter. “Therefore I am requesting an immediate investigation into this matter.”
A Chicago ordinance requires city employees and officers to be true residents of Chicago. The code also mandates termination of employment for violations but allows exceptions under extraordinary circumstances approved by the administration’s Commissioner of Human Resources, such as unlivable residences or personal safety concerns.
Typically, voters are required to cast ballots in their permanent place of residence. The Texas Election Code, Sec. 1.015, defines residence as “one’s home and fixed place of habitation to which one intends to return after any temporary absence.” Establishing residency solely to influence an election is prohibited under Texas law.
Lopez also asked Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to investigate potential voter fraud in his state. Meanwhile, Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office is conducting its own review, ABC 7 News reported.