Federal authorities have now reportedly arrested and charged an illegal alien living in New Jersey for allegedly voting in a federal election, according to information obtained by the Daily Caller.
Marian Charitun, a 62-year-old from Slovakia, faces charges of illegally voting in a federal election and making false statements while applying for U.S. citizenship, according to details shared with the outlet.
Authorities allege that Charitun registered to vote in New Jersey after falsely claiming he was a U.S. citizen. According to the information provided to the Daily Caller, he later cast a ballot in the 2022 midterm elections.
The case took another turn when Charitun applied for U.S. citizenship.
According to the Daily Caller, Charitun allegedly stated during the naturalization process that he had never voted in a federal election.
Officials told the outlet that his voting history was discovered during the review of his application, leading to the denial of his request for U.S. citizenship.
The charges carry potentially significant penalties if Charitun is convicted.
The charge of voting by an alien in a federal election carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison.
The separate charge of unlawful procurement of citizenship or naturalization carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
Federal officials brought the case through the United States Attorney’s Office Election Integrity Task Force, which handles matters involving alleged violations of federal election laws.
The New Jersey case follows similar charges announced earlier this year.
In May, four green card holders living in New Jersey were separately charged with illegally voting in federal elections and falsely claiming during their citizenship applications that they had never done so, according to officials.
The latest prosecution comes as Congress continues to debate legislation aimed at tightening election procedures.
The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act would require individuals to provide proof of American citizenship when registering to vote and present photo identification when voting in federal elections.
However, the legislation has stalled in Congress and currently has no clear path forward.
The debate surrounding the measure has continued even as differing studies have examined the issue of noncitizen voting.
According to the article, some studies have found that illegal aliens voting in elections is rare, while others have concluded that such voting can still influence election outcomes.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said Sunday that Republicans are pursuing a different strategy to advance the legislation.
Speaking with Fox News, Johnson said House Republicans could attempt to include the SAVE America Act in a reconciliation bill.
“This time we’re going to try to put it on a reconciliation bill, and the reason that’s so important, Maria, as you know, is it prevents the necessity of 60 votes in the Senate,” Johnson said. “The Democrats want no part of this, and remember, this is very basic stuff.”
Johnson described the proposal as requiring proof of citizenship during voter registration and photo identification at the polling place.
“We’re just going to make sure you have to have proof of citizenship to register to vote and then show an ID when you turn out at the ballot box,” he said. “These are 90-10 public opinion issues, and more than 70 percent of Democrats want to do it, but not the Democrats in the House and Senate, and so we’ve got to go around them.”
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