A U.S. Postal Service employee in Utah has been indicted and arrested on charges of allegedly disposing of hundreds of mail-in ballots. Damon Matai Seei of Payson was arrested Tuesday and arraigned in Salt Lake City after the U.S. Department of Justice unsealed the indictment on Wednesday. Officials stated Seei "did unlawfully secrete, destroy, and delay mail entrusted to him."
According to the department, Seei allegedly failed to deliver approximately 300 ballots intended for Utah County residents. These ballots, along with other non-election related mail items, were reportedly thrown into a dumpster outside a church parking lot. U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak for the District of Utah emphasized the significance of these alleged actions, stating that the defendant’s alleged conduct deprived citizens of their right to vote.
The investigation began earlier this summer after several Eagle Mountain residents reported not receiving their ballots for the June 23 primary election. Utah County Clerk Aaron Davidson reported receiving calls from residents stating they had not received ballots, with complaints appearing to be centralized in House District 50. Davidson alerted the Inspector General's Office about the missing ballots, which then led to the federal investigation.
Department officials held a media conference Tuesday but did not release a motive for Seei's alleged failure to deliver the mail. Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson commented on the indictment, expressing gratitude that the department treats cases of denying lawful voting with the same seriousness as alleged illegal voting.
Ahead of the indictment's unsealing, Lt. Gov. Henderson had discussed Utah election integrity in an interview. She urged voters to utilize the state's ballot tracking service to maintain confidence in the election process. Henderson noted that voters could receive notifications when their ballot is mailed by the clerk, when it is received by the clerk, and when it has been processed and counted. She directed voters to trackmyballot.utah.gov to sign up for this service.
Separately, Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson is currently under investigation by the Department of Justice herself. The agency claims she failed to "comply" with her duties as the state's chief elections officer. This investigation began weeks after the department reportedly threatened Henderson with criminal prosecution if she did not provide the state's voter records list as demanded.
