PHOENIX — A Phoenix man accused of illegally registering former felons to vote online was sentenced to probation for computer tampering.
Tim Seay, a 2020 Phoenix mayoral candidate, claimed to have helped 350 felons restore their civil rights, posting about it on his Facebook page in 2020 and 2021.
Tammie Ryder was one of several people to originally complain to ABC15 and the Arizona Attorney General's Office about Seay's operation, saying she was illegally registered to vote without going through the required court process to restore her rights.
"He took my trust for granted and used my information illegally," Ryder said in court during Seay's sentencing Monday.
"Instead of helping them the way that they knew they needed help, he helped himself and that helped his political campaign," said Todd Lawson, a prosecutor in the attorney general's office.
To avoid a trial, Seay pleaded guilty to computer tampering earlier this year. In exchange, false voter registration charges were dropped.
Investigators found he accessed a state government website a thousand times from the same IP address.
"He took the information needed to access Service Arizona on their behalf, but never told them he was going to do so," Lawson said.
Seay was sentenced to three years of probation, community service, and the possibility of jail time. With the felony conviction on his record, Seay also loses the right to vote.
"Prosecutors say I did it to boost my ego or boost whatever I needed to boost. That's not true," Seay said. I've never wronged, cheated, or defrauded anyone."
Seay's supporters said in court he was the "kindest person" and a "pillar of the community."
Defense attorney Steve Johnson said Seay was offering community assistance to many people in south Phoenix.
"It got too big, too quick," Johnson said. He attributes the registrations to a "terrible mistake" and not something done with criminal intent or for political gain.
Judge Mark Brain said he felt for the victims who could have been sent back to prison because of those illegal voter registrations.
This case is "going to foster this notion that our government and our voting system is broken," Brain said.
After ABC15 first reported on Seay's operation and the legal loopholes that allowed the felon voter registrations to happen in 2021, the state legislature passed two new laws. One law improves the process of striking felons off the voting rolls. The other law simplifies the process for some felons to get their voting rights restored after they complete their sentences.
"It makes me feel good my voice was heard; our voice was heard," Ryder said as she left the courthouse.
Two victims, who spoke at the sentencing, did not want Seay to go to prison, but they urged the judge to give the defendant some jail time.
Judge Bain ordered 14 days in the county jail, for a term starting in December. Seay can ask to have the jail time removed from his sentence if he abides by the terms of his probation over the next 6 months.
Any former felon who was registered to vote without first having civil rights restored is encouraged to immediately cancel their registration with their local county recorder.
You can reach Melissa by email at melissa.blasius@abc15.com or call 602-803-2506. Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) @MelissaBlasius or Facebook.
