Harrison County resident Arvell “Trey” DeLaine III openly boasted about voting in Hattiesburg’s special election on Facebook September 24th. Mr. DeLaine went so far as to invite other coastal residents still registered in Hattiesburg to ride with him to cast what would likely be an illegal vote. Records obtained by investigators working with the Hattiesburg Patriot shows Mr. DeLaine has lived and worked on the coast since the fall of 2010. Mr. DeLaine’s car has also been tagged in Harrison County.
What is even more interesting is the fact that Mr. DeLaine posted words of support on Judge Carol Russell-Jones‘ election Fanpage when she ran unsuccessfully against Gay Polk Payton for Justice Court Judge in District 3. Judge Jones-Russell is also under scrutiny for voting in Hattiesburg’s election and having two homesteads, one in Stone County and the other in Hattiesburg.
At the time when Carol Jones-Russell ran for Justice Court Judge, Mr. DeLaine posted words of strong support on Jones-Russell’s page. Mr. DeLaine said, “You know you’ve got my FULL support. Just let me know what you need me to do and it’s DONE!” It is not clear if DeLaine voted in the justice court election between Carol Jones-Russell and Gay Polk Payton in 2011, or if he worked on Jones-Russell’s campaign.
A common theme in alleged illegal voting, DeLaine used the address of a relative, in this case his parent’s home, to cast his ballot September 24th. Illegal voting is a crime and carries up to six month in jail.
