No Jail for GOP Official Who Pleaded Guilty to Election Fraud, Will Keep Government Job

Former Rensselaer County Board of Elections Commissioner Jason Schofield has been convicted of voter fraud, but will not serve any jail time for the offense.

In September of 2022, Schofield, a Republican, was indicted for using names and birth dates of voters to submit fraudulent applications for absentee ballots pertaining to local elections in 2021, reported ABC News 10.

"In pleading guilty to a 12-count indictment, Schofield admitted that in 2021, he unlawfully possessed and used the names and dates of birth of voters in connection with 12 absentee ballot applications he submitted in the voters' names to the New York State Voter Absentee Ballot Application Request Portal," stated a press release from the US District Attorney's office.

"Schofield admitted that for each application, he falsely certified that he was the voter requesting the ballot. He also admitted that he took personal possession of 9 of these ballots, while knowing and intending that RCBOE records would falsely reflect that the ballots had been mailed to the voters," the press release continued.

He resigned from his post in December of 2022, pleading guilty to the crimes he was accused of in January of 2023. He then assumed a clerical position for the city of Rensselaer, after which the city's Common Council voted to decrease his salary from $40,000 to $100 a year.

The council attempted to eliminate Schofield's position entirely, but this decision was vetoed by the mayor.

Schofield has been sentenced to one year of probation and is required to pay a $2,000 fine as well as a $1,200 special assessment for his actions during Rensselaer County's 2021 elections.