Former Atlantic City Council President Craig Callaway Pleads Guilty to Mail-In Ballot Fraud Scheme

CAMDEN, N.J. – Craig Callaway, a well-known political figure in Atlantic County and former president of the Atlantic City Council, has pleaded guilty to orchestrating a fraudulent mail-in ballot scheme during the November 2022 general election. The 64-year-old political organizer admitted to illegally procuring, casting, and tabulating ballots, effectively depriving New Jersey voters of a fair election process.

Callaway entered his guilty plea on Thursday before Chief U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb in Camden federal court. He was charged with depriving and defrauding the residents of New Jersey of an impartial election process through fraudulent means.

“The defendant admitted to depriving New Jersey residents of a fair election by participating in a scheme to cast ballots for voters who did not vote in the election,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna. “Along with our law enforcement partners, we are committed to prosecuting those who criminally seek to undermine impartially conducted elections.”

The Scheme: Fraudulent Vote-By-Mail Ballots

According to court documents and statements made in court, Callaway’s scheme began in October 2022, roughly one month before the general election. He and his associates allegedly approached numerous individuals in Atlantic City, offering them between $30 and $50 to act as “authorized messengers” for voters who purportedly wished to vote by mail.

These recruited messengers entered the Atlantic County Clerk’s Office with completed Vote-By-Mail Applications, presenting identification and signing documents as authorized messengers before submitting the applications. Upon approval, they received mail-in ballots for the voters listed on the applications.

Under New Jersey law, these messengers were required to deliver the ballots directly to the voters who requested them and certify that they had done so. However, instead of handing them to the rightful voters, these individuals passed the ballots to Callaway or his subordinates, who ultimately cast them fraudulently.

Federal investigators later determined that many of these ballots were counted in the 2022 election, despite the fact that the voters listed had never requested or submitted a mail-in ballot. Several confirmed that they had not voted in the election, either in person or by mail, and had not authorized anyone else to vote on their behalf.

Extensive Investigation and Legal Ramifications

The investigation was conducted by multiple law enforcement agencies, including the FBI’s Public Corruption Task Force, the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, the Atlantic City Police Department, the New Jersey State Police, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Callaway now faces a maximum prison sentence of five years. His sentencing is scheduled for June 17, 2025.

A History of Election Controversies

This is not Callaway’s first encounter with the law. The former Atlantic City Council president previously served nearly four years in prison for bribery. His involvement in election-related controversies spans decades, with accusations of ballot tampering and voter fraud trailing his political career.

In 2023, a Superior Court judge barred Callaway from assisting voters with mail-in ballots after allegations of voter fraud in the June primary. Former State Sen. Colin Bell, who represented the Atlantic County Democrats in court, described Callaway as a repeat offender whose actions had long undermined election integrity.

“I believe there was clear and convincing evidence that Mr. Callaway was involved in a voter fraud scheme,” Bell said at the time. “He has to be stopped from abusing the system.”

Calls for Election Reforms

Callaway’s guilty plea has reignited debates over election security and mail-in voting regulations. Atlantic County Democratic Chairman Michael Suleiman called for legislative reforms to prevent similar schemes in the future.

“I hope this marks the end of a sad chapter in Atlantic County’s history,” Suleiman said. “While both parties have played a role in Callaway’s rise, they can also be part of the solution. We must enact legislation prohibiting payments to messengers and bearers to ensure fair elections.”

However, Suleiman also defended mail-in voting, warning against using this case to discredit a process relied upon by many voters.

“Despite Callaway’s fraudulent actions, vote-by-mail remains a secure, easy, and convenient way to vote, especially for seniors and disabled voters,” he said. “We cannot let one bad actor undermine confidence in the system.”