GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — In an unusual move, a law enforcement agency is having to tell people they are not looking for someone.
The Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office is debunking a claim that they're searching for someone accused of being a ballot mule.
THE QUESTION
Is the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office searching for a poll worker?
THE SOURCES:
THE ANSWER
No, the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office is not searching for a poll worker accused of being a ballot mule.
WHAT WE FOUND:
It's not often law enforcement publicly addresses rumors, but this claim started circulating so widely on social media, the sheriff's office wanted to get in front of it.
A flyer accuses an election's poll worker of being a ballot mule. The post includes big red WANTED letters, with the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office insignia and their phone number.
11Alive blurred the face of the woman on the poster because she's not being investigated for a crime.
The Gwinnett County Sheriff's office posted on their social media pages that the message is false. Additionally, a spokesperson with the agency said in an emailed statement, "the flyer was not created, is not affiliated with Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office. Creating a wanted flyer, using the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office logo/branding and impersonating the agency is a violation of O.C.G.A. 15-16-54 (the symbol, seal, or badge of sheriff's office.)"
The idea of ballot mules, or people supposedly paid to illegally collect and drop off ballots, is circulating once again after a recent movie called "2,000 Mules" debuted.
The movie is home to debunked claims about the 2020 election, including a video of another Gwinnett County man inserting ballots into a drop box.
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger debunked that claim during a recent debate.
"Recently, we received a video about a man in Gwinnett County, we investigated and the five ballots he turned in were all himself and his family members," he explained.
So, both claims of are false.
Gwinnett County added it's an active investigation and the Secretary of State's office is looking into it.