Trump threatens ‘maximum penalties’ for voter fraud

President Trump warned people found guilty of voter fraud would face “maximum penalties” ahead of November’s midterm elections.

“All levels of government and Law Enforcement are watching carefully for VOTER FRAUD, including during EARLY VOTING. Cheat at your own peril. Violators will be subject to maximum penalties, both civil and criminal!” the president tweeted Saturday night. 

All levels of government and Law Enforcement are watching carefully for VOTER FRAUD, including during EARLY VOTING. Cheat at your own peril. Violators will be subject to maximum penalties, both civil and criminal!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 21, 2018

{mosads}Trump has long maintained that voter fraud is a significant issue, while experts have proven that it does not occur on a large scale.

“In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally,” Trump tweeted after the election in 2016. The president offered no evidence for that claim.

In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2016

Trump convened the Presidential Commission on Election Integrity in May 2017, headed by conservative firebrand Kris Kobach, who is now the Republican gubernatorial candidate in Kansas.

The commission was disbanded in January after privacy concerns surfaced over its requests for personal information on voters and it was unable to prove a large number of illegal votes were cast.