Former Republican candidate who pledged to ‘restore trust’ in elections arrested for stealing ballots
An Indiana man who ran for Congress this year and promised to “restore trust” in elections has been arrested and charged with stealing ballots during a test of voting machines.
Larry Savage Jr., 51, competed in the Republican primary for Indiana’s 5th Congressional District, where he finished in sixth place with less than two percent of the vote.
Savage described himself as a “regular guy” who would “restore trust and protect civil rights” in “fair, transparent elections.”
He was elected local party leader to attend a public voting machine test in Madison County on October 3.
Four voting machines were tested with 136 ballots, but two were missing. Surveillance footage showed Savage taking them, folding them and putting them in his pocket.
An Indiana man who ran for Congress this year and vowed to “restore confidence in elections” has been arrested and charged with stealing ballots during a test of voting machines
Larry Savage Jr. (circled left), 51, competed in the Republican Primary for Indiana’s 5th Congressional District, where he finished in sixth place with less than two percent of the vote
State police found the ballots in Savage’s car after executing a search warrant. Fox 59 reported.
Savage argued to authorities that he only accepted the ballots because an official at the scene told him they were fake.
“You’re talking about the ballot that the lady told me I could take,” Savage said, according to charging documents.
“I have the paper you’re talking about. I just rolled it up and put it in my pocket. I wasn’t trying to steal from anyone.’
However, those present were told by the official on the surveillance video: “These are live ballots. They are live election ballots.”
It was also revealed that after taking the ballots, Savage told state auditor candidate and fellow Republican Katherine Callahan, “The count is screwed up.”
He also reportedly posted several messages on someone’s Facebook Live stream to the same effect.
Officers asked Savage why he put the ballots in his pocket if he thought they were free to take.
State police found the ballots in Savage’s car after executing a search warrant
Savage argued to authorities that he only accepted the ballots because an official at the scene told him they were fake.
County attorneys say he responded by stating “he would not incriminate himself.”
Savage then claimed that he had no plans to do anything untoward with the ballots and that he would have returned them if he had known that was not the intention.
However, a search of Savage’s cell phone records shows that he texted Callahan asking, “Are they saying anything about the ballots I collected?”
An arrest warrant was issued for Savage on Monday. He turned himself in a day later, police said Indy Star.
He faces one charge of destroying or losing a ballot and one charge of theft.
The voting machine company said Savage engaged in “sabotage of the public test and their voting equipment.”
The state’s Republican Party has now condemned the man who said he was running as a “MAGA candidate.”
“We unequivocally condemn any form of criminal election interference,” Griffin Reid said in a statement.
Savage claimed that he had no plans to do anything untoward with the ballots and that he would have returned them if he had known that was not the intention.
Savage appears to have responded to the arrest on Facebook, where he turned his cover photo into his own mugshot
“We appreciate the efforts of law enforcement in pursuing justice and we will continue to monitor this situation as the process unfolds.”
Savage appears to have responded to the arrest on Facebook, where he turned his cover photo into his own mugshot.
He wrote on one post: ‘The truth will come out!’