Voter Bribery Scheme Uncovered in Hoboken

A Hudson County woman has been charged with promoting a voter bribery scheme using the U.S. mail, federal authorities announced.

Lizaida Camis, 55, of Hoboken, is accused of causing the mails to be used to aid voter bribery contrary to New Jersey state law.

According to documents filed in the case, Camis agreed to pay certain Hoboken voters $50 each if they applied for and cast mail-in ballots for the November 2013 Hoboken municipal election.

Camis provided these voters with VBM Applications and then delivered the completed applications to the Hudson County Clerk’s office.

After the mail-in ballots were delivered to the voters, Camis went to their apartments and, in some cases, instructed the voters to vote for the candidates for whom Camis was working.

Camis faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the charge of violating the Travel Act.

U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito credited the FBI and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of the Inspector General for the investigation leading to Camis’s arrest.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Farrell and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Agarwal in the case.

The charge and allegations in the complaint are merely accusations, and Camis is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.