CLEVELAND – Two Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) have been named as District Election Officers for the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the Northern District of Ohio to lead the efforts to implement the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming Nov. 5, 2024, general elections.
AUSAs Megan R. Miller and Ava R. Dustin will oversee the district’s handling of Election Day complaints in consultation with the Justice Department’s Civil Rights, Criminal, and National Security Divisions in Washington, D.C. The USAO for the Northern District of Ohio serves the 40 northern counties in the state.
Federal law protects against election-related crimes such as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input.
U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko said, “The right to vote is the cornerstone of American democracy. Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination, and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election. As it has for years, the Department of Justice will work tirelessly to protect the integrity of our nation’s election process.”
AUSAs Miller and Dustin will be on duty in the Northern District of Ohio while the polls are open Tuesday, Nov. 5. AUSA Miller can be reached at 216-338-4479 and AUSA Dustin at 419-215-5444 to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns or fraudulent election activity.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws may also be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington at civilrights.justice.gov or by phone at 1-800-253-3931.
In the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. Please note: State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.
The FBI will have dedicated special agents, known as Election Crime Coordinators, available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on Election Day.
Defendant/respondent: None
Exact criminal charges: Election interference
City and state: Cleveland, Ohio
Exact date with month/day/year: November 5, 2024
Sentence or outcome: Ongoing efforts to prevent election interference
Dollar amounts where applicable: None
Key Facts
- State: Ohio
- Category: Public Corruption|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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