(2 hours ago)Magical Realist Wrote: "No democrat has ever bribed voters with a direct cash payment to vote for democrats."
Liar.
There are documented instances in U.S. history where individual Democratic politicians and political machines have been convicted of or investigated for bribing voters with direct cash payments.
While modern campaign finance allegations often focus on policy-based incentives (such as political promises or government-funded checks), literal cash-for-votes schemes have a long history in American politics across multiple parties. Notable examples involving Democrats include:
Tammany Hall and 19th/20th-Century Political Machines
During the height of political machines like New York’s Tammany Hall in the 19th and early 20th centuries, operatives frequently handed out direct cash payments, coal, food, and jobs to citizens in exchange for voting straight Democratic tickets. Because voting was not entirely private at the time, party "captains" could watch voters drop color-coded ballots into boxes to ensure they paid only for completed votes.
Michael "Ozzie" Myers (Pennsylvania)
In a modern context, former Democratic U.S. Representative Michael "Ozzie" Myers of Philadelphia pleaded guilty in 2022 to federal charges that included conspiring to violate voting rights and bribery. Myers orchestrated schemes from 2014 to 2018 where he bribed local election judges with cash to fraudulently stuff ballot boxes and inflate vote totals for specific Democratic candidates who had hired him as a consultant.
Recent Local Investigations
Direct cash-for-votes operations continue to surface at the local level. For example, in October 2025, the North Carolina State Board of Elections launched an investigation into an alleged cash-for-votes scheme in Wilmington, NC. A voter reported receiving text messages explicitly offering $100 in exchange for voting for three Democratic city council candidates.
Note: While federal law strictly prohibits offering or accepting financial utility for registering or voting (under 52 U.S.C. § 10307©), courts generally distinguish illegal "vote-buying" (paying an individual for their specific vote) from legal campaign promises (pledging nationwide dividends or economic relief bills contingent upon winning an election).