UPDATE:

(MONTGOMERY)—Attorney General Troy King today announced the arrest of former Hale County Circuit Clerk Gay Nell Tinker for multiple felony charges relating to voter fraud. Tinker, also known as Gay Singleton, was arrested today by agents of the Attorney General's Office and the Hale County Sheriff's Office and taken to the Hale County Jail.

Attorney General King's Office presented evidence to a Hale County grand jury yesterday, resulting in a 13-count indictment* against Tinker. Specifically, the indictment charges Tinker with:

• nine counts of second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument—an absentee voter affidavit—in violation of Section 13A-9-6 of the Code of Alabama;

• two counts of promoting illegal absentee voting—by intentionally soliciting or otherwise promoting illegal absentee voting —in violation of Section 17-10-17 of the Code of Alabama; and

• two counts of first-degree perjury, by falsely certifying as to who signed an absentee voter affidavit.

"Vote fraud is a serious crime. It is not a crime against just an individual voter or a particular candidate. It is a crime against democracy, itself. When it is committed – as charged in these indictments – by the very custodian of the election system, a circuit clerk, it is even more grievous," stated Attorney General King.

"So long as we are willing to commit soldiers to fight and die to advance democracy, those soldiers should at least be able to expect those of us they left behind to keep those things they are bleeding for safe back here at home. " No further information about the investigation or about Tinker's alleged crimes other than that stated in the indictment may be released at this time.

If convicted, Tinker faces a maximum penalty of ten years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $5,000 for each count of second-degree possession of a forged instrument, a class C felony; two years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $2,000 for each count of promoting illegal absentee voting, an unclassified felony; and ten years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $5,000 for each count of perjury, a class C felony.

*An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

SOURCE

Former Hale County Circuit Clerk Gay Nell Tinker was indicted on 13 counts of voter fraud related charges today.  Tinker has been under investigation by the State Attorney Troy King since the 2004 and 2006 elections.  It's been said there are more charges coming soon, perhaps on Tinker or others involved.

Gay Nell Tinker was in charge of absentee ballots during the 2004 and 2006 Hale Co elections.  Among those accused of voter fraud are Tinker's ex-husband, State Senator Bobby Singleton, and her cousin Carrie Reaves.  Her brother, Circuit Judge Marvin Wiggins, was just ordered by the court to to recuse himself from a Hale County voter fraud case due to conflicts of interest.  In the motion filed by Atty General King, Wiggins refused to order a handwriting sample of Milliarstine Coleman, who's absentee ballot is in question.  

In August, an investigation by the attorney general's office led to the arrests of former Greensboro City Council member Valada Paige Banks and Rosie Lyles of Greensboro on charges of possessing a forged absentee voter affidavit and four counts of promoting illegal absentee voting. The women have pleaded not guilty.

When Tinker was in charge of the absentee ballots, she apparently had the mailing address for the return of absentee ballots in Hale Co as her personal P.O box, not the courthouse.  No word at this time the exact wording of the indictments that have been handed down so far. 

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