By Misty Castile | The Center Square
(The Center Square) – A former Cotton Valley mayoral candidate faces federal charges after Louisiana election officials say their Election Integrity Division uncovered information about an effort to register a noncitizen who later voted in the election in which she was running.
A federal grand jury returned the indictment Sept. 9 against Bridget Johnson, 53, of Cotton Valley, and Michael Wedderburn, 52, of Jamaica. The U.S. Department of Justice announced the charges Monday as part of a broader election-related enforcement announcement involving six defendants in Louisiana, Kansas and California.
According to the Justice Department, Johnson was a Webster Parish resident and candidate for mayor of Cotton Valley in the Nov. 5, 2024, election. Wedderburn is a noncitizen who was ineligible to vote in Louisiana elections.
Prosecutors say Johnson completed and electronically submitted a Louisiana voter registration application in Wedderburn’s name on July 14, 2024, falsely stating that he was a U.S. citizen.
The indictment alleges Wedderburn later voted in the Nov. 5 election for a federal office and in the Cotton Valley mayoral race.
Johnson lost the mayoral race to Bruce Lee Jr. 56%-44%.
Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry said the federal indictments stemmed from information uncovered by her office’s Election Integrity Division and shared with federal law enforcement.
“One illegal vote is one too many,” Landry said. “An illegal vote erases the voice of a lawful voter. When we uncover potential illegal activity, we will investigate it, refer it to the appropriate authorities, and pursue accountability.”
The FBI investigated the case with assistance from the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office.
FBI Director Kash Patel said election-related investigations are among the agency’s priorities.
“Protecting election integrity for the American people is one of the top priorities for this FBI,” Patel said in a release on the indictments.
He said the agency would use its resources to investigate credible allegations of election fraud and illegal voting.
U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana Zachary Keller said his office would continue prosecuting violations of election laws.
“The right to vote is sacred,” said Keller. “When individuals undermine that process through fraud or abuse, they threaten the public’s confidence in a fair and lawful election system.”
Johnson is charged with fraudulent voter registration and voting by an alien and Wedderburn as charged with voting by an alien.
If convicted, Johnson faces a maximum of five years in prison. Wedderburn faces a maximum of one year in prison and additional financial penalties.
The Louisiana charges were announced alongside separate federal cases in Kansas and California.
In Kansas, a Peruvian national and permanent U.S. resident was charged with allegedly falsely claiming U.S. citizenship to register to vote and casting a ballot in the November 2024 election. Prosecutors allege the ballot included races for president, vice president, U.S. Senate and U.S. House.
In California, three defendants were charged in a separate case involving allegations that people on Skid Row in Los Angeles were paid to sign ballot initiative petitions using stolen identities of registered voters.