French citizen who illegally cast ballot in 2022 midterms says New Jersey automatically registered him to vote
FIRST ON FOX: Attorneys representing a French national who recently admitted to illegally casting a ballot in the 2022 federal midterm elections told Fox News Digital that he thought he was allowed to vote because he was automatically registered when he received his New Jersey driver’s license.
Eliezer Kadoch, 39, of Toms River, pleaded guilty to voting by an alien in a federal election before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Brandon Day in Trenton federal court, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey.
Though Kadoch is a citizen of France and has never held U.S. citizenship, he illegally voted on Nov. 8, 2022, during an election that was held in part to elect members of the U.S. House of Representatives, according to court documents.
Attorney Yosef Jacobovitch, who is representing Kadoch, told Fox News Digital that when his client cast the ballot, he "mistakenly believed" he was legally permitted to vote because he had been automatically registered when he obtained his New Jersey driver’s license.
"Mr. Kadoch accepted responsibility for his actions," Jacobovitch said. "... There was never any intent to violate the law or cast an unlawful ballot. Unfortunately, the offense to which he pleaded guilty does not require proof of criminal intent, and he now fully understands that."
Kadoch now faces up to six months in federal prison and a $100,000 fine, according to officials. His sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 26.
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The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) reported that issuing driver's licenses to noncitizens, combined with automatic voter registration, can result in them being added to voter rolls.
In recent years, the nonprofit said numerous states — including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Virginia — investigated the issue and identified noncitizens on their voter rolls.
Model legislation drafted by AFPI suggested solutions including requiring proof of citizenship to vote, and implementing audit requirements to ensure that noncitizens are not on the voter rolls.
U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer noted the case was brought by the United States Attorney’s Office’s Election Integrity Task Force, a coalition of federal law enforcement partners dedicated to preserving and protecting the integrity of elections in New Jersey.
The investigation was a joint effort involving special agents from the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Kadoch's immigration status was not publicly released.
The New Jersey Department of State, New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, Ocean County Clerk's Office and AFPI did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.