A federal grand jury in Minnesota has indicted Mukeshkumar Somabhai Chaudhari, an Indian national, on charges that he knowingly falsely claimed U.S. citizenship in order to vote in the 2024 general election.
According to a Justice Department press release, Chaudhari falsely claimed citizenship by signing a voter signature certificate required under Minnesota law, then voted on November 5, 2024.
“The right to vote is a sacred privilege of American citizenship, and every lawful voter deserves an election system in which that right is protected,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said in the release. “The Department will hold accountable those who knowingly make false claims of citizenship in order to vote. The integrity of our elections depends on ensuring that only eligible citizens cast ballots and that every lawful vote is counted.”
Dhillon said in a post on X that the Justice Department has “indicted or convicted 67 individuals for election related crimes.”
Chaudhari, 39, had earlier faced state perjury and voting violation charges. He initially denied voting when questioned by authorities, then later said he “made a mistake” and admitted to voting while telling investigators he is not a U.S. citizen.
Investigators said Chaudhari received a voter registration notice from the state of Minnesota, a notice likely triggered after he obtained a driver’s license. He reportedly told authorities he didn’t learn he should not have voted until his lawyer informed him during his green card process.
Reaction from election-integrity advocates
“Once again, DOJ is proving that if you look for election fraud, you find election fraud,” Chad Ennis, Vice President of Honest Elections Project, told Fox News Digital. “The Left loves to claim election fraud does not happen. But here we have yet another instance of a non-citizen illegally registering to vote.”
The indictment drew attention on social media, where some users noted that Democratic officials have at times downplayed the existence of voter fraud. Center for the American Experiment’s Bill Glahn posted on X, “That thing that never happens.” Political commentator Eric Daugherty wrote, “Tim Walz’s Minnesota is a hotbed for fraud!”
Glahn has separately raised concerns about safeguards in Minnesota’s voting system, including a provision that allows a registered voter to “vouch” for the residency of up to eight other voters seeking same-day registration without an ID.
State’s response
The Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State told Fox News Digital earlier this year that “only U.S. Citizens are eligible to vote in Minnesota,” and that ineligible voting is “extremely rare.”
“When an individual completes a voter registration application, they attest that they meet all eligibility requirements, including that they are a U.S. citizen,” the office said. “Before casting a ballot, one must again swear to their eligibility before they are allowed to vote. If a noncitizen attempts to vote in an election, they will be caught and held to account. Penalties for voting while ineligible may include deportation, a permanent bar on future citizenship, a fine of up to $10,000, and up to five years in prison.”
If convicted, Chaudhari faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on each of the two federal counts he faces.
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