The 2020 US elections have been a controversial topic not just in the United States, but across the globe. From placing bets on the winning candidate to cheering for their favourite president-to-be, people from across the world engaged in endless debate - which came to a standstill after Joe Biden claimed victory to become the President-elect. But that did not go down well with US President Donald Trump and his supporters, who alleged voter fraud as the reason behind Biden's victory.
With Georgia's 16 electoral votes, Biden managed to secure a total of 306 electoral votes against Trump's 232. The keys to the White House required at least 270 electoral votes out of 538-member Electoral College. But Trump's tweets have been endless rants about rigged election and voter fraud, which authorities have deemed baseless. But in view of the latest evidence, Trump might not be all wrong.
Voter fraud in Hawthorne
Trump's voter fraud allegations just got real, but not on the massive scale as the president suspected. An incident of voter fraud came to light in Hawthorne, Calif. election, where thousands of forged voter applications were submitted on behalf of homeless people.
The authorities have busted the fraud and charged two people in the case. One of the duo charged with voter fraud is Carlos Antonio De Bourbon Montenegro -- also known as Mark Anthony Gonsalves, who tried to run for mayor in Hawthorne. Montenegro, 53, is charged with 18 felony counts of voter fraud, 11 felony counts of procuring a false or forged instrument, two felony counts of perjury and one felony count of conspiracy to commit voter fraud, along with nine misdemeanor counts of interference with a prompt transfer of a completed affidavit, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.
According to ABC News affiliate, Montenegro had allegedly submitted more than 8,000 forged voter registration applications by falsifying the names, addresses and signatures on the nomination papers. He was allegedly funded by criminal gang MS-13 to put him in power for their benefit.
Both accused have pleaded not guilty. If convicted, Montenegro could serve 15 years in prison.
Voter fraud conspiracy plot
Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, speaking at a press conference on Thursday, made some serious allegations of a nationwide voter fraud conspiracy plot to ensure Biden's victory.
"There's not a singular vote fraud in one state. This pattern repeats itself in a number of states, almost exactly the same pattern. It suggests there was a plan from a centralized place to execute these various acts of voter fraud, specifically focused on big cities, and specifically focused on big cities controlled by Democrats," Giuliani said.
He further claimed that there were no inspections for hundreds of thousands of mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania, which declared Biden's victory. "The number of voter fraud cases in Philadelphia could fill a library," he said.
But Giuliani's claims didn't stand ground in the court, which have been consistently rejected since Election Day. There has been no incriminating evidence to support the conspiracy of widespread fraud.
