Virginia State Police has arrested a Blacksburg Town Council member on felony election fraud charges, according to a statement Thursday.
Liam Watson was elected in November 2023 after a hand-recount of ballots, according to The Roanoke Times. He defeated write-in candidate Rick Johnson, a former school board member and retired Virginia Tech administrator, for the seat.
The town council race was a nonpartisan election. Watson was employed as the Democratic Party of Virginia spokesperson during his run for office. While working for DPVA, Watson was listed as the press contact for media releases to various news outlets, including VPM News. He resigned shortly after the final council race results were announced Nov. 16, 2023, which the News Messenger reported. The last DPVA press release with his contact listed is dated Nov. 20, 2023.
The indictment alleges that Watson made a false statement on three documents, which constitute election fraud: a voter registration application, a statement of organization for a candidate committee and a declaration of candidacy. It also alleges he voted illegally in the 2023 general election.
VSP also said the United States Postal Inspection Service assisted in the investigation; Watson turned himself in.
Election fraud is a class 5 felony, punishable by a fine and up to 10 years in prison, and voting illegally is a class 6 felony, punishable by a fine and up to five years in prison.
In an emailed statement, Watson’s legal team said they look forward to appearing in court.
“He is 24 years old, with a heart for public service, and has worked diligently for the citizens who elected him,” said the attorneys from Fishwick & Associates PLC.
The office of Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares directed VSP to investigate the matter. Miyares created an election integrity unit in 2022, although election fraud cases are uncommon in Virginia. The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, lists 20 instances in the commonwealth from 2007 through 2021.
The OAG’s election integrity unit has “more than 20 existing attorneys, investigators and paralegals” and did not require new funds, according to a press release.
A 2022 case in Prince William County involved an elections official accused of felony misconduct by the attorney general’s office. That case began before the formation of the election integrity unit.
A judge dismissed those charges after a prosecutor's request, saying a key witness changed their story. The office of elections told The Associated Press the official’s conduct “did not impact the outcome of any election contest.”
Prince William County announced earlier this year that it had released election data in the trial, and that former President Donald Trump had “incorrectly received” 2,327 votes in the 2020 election.
Miyares’ office won a case involving Look Ahead America Inc. after the OAG sent a cease-and-desist letter to the organization, which is headed by a former Trump campaign official. In a press release, Miyares said the organization attempted to mislead voters in three Northern Virginia counties that they could lose Social Security income and other government benefits if they did not vote.
An OAG spokesperson said the election fraud unit was not involved in the Watson investigation after tasking VSP.
“In accordance with the provisions of state law, the Office of the Attorney General authorized the Virginia State police to conduct a criminal investigation into this matter in March of this year,” said the spokesperson.
Rich Anderson, chair of the Republican Party of Virginia, posted to social media that the “federal” indictment against Watson “is why [Republicans have] an energized election integrity operation.” (USPIS, a federal agency that can issue indictments, has not filed federal criminal charges relating to Watson as of Thursday.)
DPVA did not comment on the indictment or Watson’s prior employment.
Watson has been released on bond; a hearing is scheduled in Montgomery County Circuit Court for Aug 7.
