An Australian woman living in Louisiana has been charged with illegally voting in two federal elections, and her defense so far boils down to "I just didn't realize that it was such a big deal." Bold strategy, let's see how that plays out.
Denise Nataly Migliore, a 51-year-old lawful permanent resident from Australia, was hit with a four-count indictment as reported by Trending Politics. Two counts are for making false statements in connection with voter registration and two are for illegal voting in federal elections. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana, Migliore allegedly claimed to be a U.S. citizen on voter registration forms around October 6, 2022, and October 22, 2024, then proceeded to cast ballots on November 8, 2022, and November 5, 2024. She certified under penalty of perjury that she was eligible. She was not.
Migliore was arrested on July 1 by Homeland Security Investigations agents at the federal courthouse in New Orleans. The FBI assisted in the investigation. Each count carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, supervised release, and fines. So that is potentially 20 years for something she didn't think was "a big deal."
In media interviews, Migliore said she has lived in the United States for nearly three decades, had a pending citizenship application, and considered herself a citizen. She also said she received solicitations from the state encouraging voter registration and that nobody stopped her during the process or at the polls. She told NOLA.com, "I just didn't realize that it was such a big deal." She also said she learned about the charges through news reports and hasn't retained an attorney due to financial constraints. Imagine finding out you're a federal defendant the same way you find out about a celebrity divorce.
Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry was not in a sympathetic mood. "The federal indictment of Denise Nataly Migliore announced Monday is the direct result of Louisiana's proactive efforts to identify and investigate individuals who may be unlawfully registered to vote," Landry said. She added, "Every illegal vote cast diminishes the value of the vote of a lawful citizen and erodes public trust in our elections."
Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon noted the case fits into the DOJ's broader election integrity enforcement. "This is not a fictional issue. We've, at the DOJ, prosecuted numerous people in the last year and a half who have voted illegally," Dhillon said on Newsmax. She also pointed out that criminal penalties apply not just to illegal voters but to election officials who knowingly allow it.
The prosecution is reportedly the first criminal case to come out of Louisiana's use of the federal SAVE database to flag noncitizens on voter rolls. State officials say additional individuals were identified who may have been registered and voted while ineligible. So there could be more of these stories coming.
Former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli summed up the mood online pretty well, posting on X: "That thing that never happens happened again." Indeed it did.
Read more breaking news stories at: Trending Politics News
