A former Phoenix mayoral candidate pleaded guilty to felony computer tampering Friday.
In 2021, the ABC15 investigators exposed Tim Seay's operation in a south Phoenix Masonic Lodge. He was offering to help former felons restore their civil rights. Several of those people later contacted ABC15 saying Seay had not restored their rights, and instead, they had been illegally registered to vote. The registrations were completed through the Service Arizona website.
After ABC15's investigation, Seay was indicted for computer tampering and seven counts of false voter registration. In court Friday, Seay admitted to going online to register people to vote without their permission.
In exchange for the guilty plea on the computer crime, the voter registration charges are being dropped. Seay's plea agreement stipulates he will avoid prison time if he completes supervised probation and community services. He'll be formally sentenced in April.
As a result of ABC15's investigation, legislators made two changes to state law. One law improves communication between the courts and election offices to close the loophole that allowed ineligible felons on the voter rolls. The other law streamlines the civil rights restoration process for felons.
ABC15 Investigator Melissa Blasius covers policing and politics. Got a news tip? Email Melissa at Melissa.Blasius@abc15.com.
