Ex-Virginia election official charged with corruption related to 2020 election

The former registrar in one of Virginia's most important electoral counties has been indicted for corruption and false statements related to the 2020 election, Attorney General Jason Miyares announced Wednesday.

Ex-Prince William County voter registrar Michele White is charged with two felony counts alleging corrupt conduct as an election official and making a false statement, and one misdemeanor charge of willful neglect of duty by an elected official, Miyares said.

White resigned abruptly last year without explanation. Miyares' announcement did not specify exactly what activities were involved in the criminal conduct, except to say it occurred between August and December 2020. 

But the county's Office of Elections said White's conduct "did not impact the outcome of any election contest" and was discovered by her successor.

Eric Olsen, the current director of elections/general registrar, reported "discrepancies" to the Commissioner of Elections and State Board of Elections earlier this year, which led to the investigation by Miyares, the office said in a statement.

"Many improvements and best practices have been adopted to ensure a safe and transparent voting experience for the voters of Prince William County," the statement said.

Prince William County is one of Virginia's fastest growing communities in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. and has been a bellwether in recent years for elections.