Organizer Pleads Guilty in Pennsylvania Voter Registration Fraud Scheme Ahead of 2024 Election

Guillermo Sainz, an organizer for the Arizona-based firm Field+Media Corps, has pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts related to a fraudulent voter registration scheme in Pennsylvania ahead of the 2024 presidential election. His sentence includes 30 days in jail, a $1,000 fine, and 11 months of probation.

The case came to light in October 2024 when district attorneys across multiple Pennsylvania counties reported receiving thousands of suspicious voter registration applications. These were eventually referred to state Attorney General Dave Sunday’s office for prosecution.

According to criminal complaints, Sainz managed a team of street canvassers who were paid based on the number of registration forms they submitted—a practice illegal in Pennsylvania. This pay structure pressured canvassers to meet quotas, leading some to fabricate names and information to avoid losing their jobs. One canvasser admitted to investigators that she made up data to meet daily quotas.

Local election officials in Berks, Lancaster, and York counties flagged the defective forms early and referred them to law enforcement. Importantly, none of the fraudulent applications resulted in someone being improperly registered to vote.

Despite the lack of evidence that the scheme was designed to sway the election or benefit any candidate, former President Donald Trump seized on the story during his 2024 campaign to falsely claim that fake ballots had been found in Pennsylvania.

Charges against six other canvassers involved in the scheme remain pending, with some facing felony counts of tampering with public records. The attorney general’s office has not provided updates on these cases.

This case highlights how voter registration fraud schemes driven by financial incentives can undermine trust in the electoral process, even when they do not affect election outcomes. Worse, bad-faith actors exploit these incidents to promote baseless claims of widespread voter fraud, further eroding democratic integrity.

We will continue to track developments in this case and other efforts to hold accountable those who threaten the legitimacy of our elections.