2023 Tedusian Presidential Election Fraud Scandal

After the Tedusian Presidential Election in 2023, the results showed a victory for Jean Caddam of the Unionist Party when the senate was won by the Progressive Alliance. This led to many voters and politicians across the political spectrum to accuse President, Jean Caddam, of committing fraud to win the election. An official government investigation began on the 5th of June 2023 to investigate the fraud claims but a delay of the formation of the government was not menaced, allowing Jean Caddam to remain President and for the new government to be formed. So far, the investigation has found some evidence of fraud and the Tedusian Police Force has been granted a warrant to search Jean Caddam's homes, go through personal information, and investigate allies of the President. President, Jean Caddam, has called the investigation a "violation of [his] human rights" and has called for the investigation to be called off. After President, Jean Caddam, was inaugurated on the 1st of August 2023, Karl Reese of the Radical Party called for him to removed as President during the investigation and replaced by an independent politician, this however, has not happened, but it was taken into account by the Tedusian Police Force and the National Court of Tedesu.

## 2023 Tedusian Presidential Election

### Lead Up to the 2023 Tedusian Presidential Election

During the lead up to the 2023 Tedusian Senate Election it was clear that the Progressive Alliance was going to win the election with a clear majority, but as the election came closer and closer, opinion polls began getting closer after the events of *Coupgate* and the looming anxiety of radical left-wing changes. The Social Democratic Party (SDP), who originally held second place in opinions polls, dropped in polls quickly, leading to the party being placed fourth in opinion polls after Coupgate.

Karl Reese, leader of the Radical Party, was polling around 60% during the final month of election campaigning, meaning that Jean Caddam, President and leader of the Unionist Party, was polling around 40% during the final month of election campaigning. Karl Reese was easily the favourite for winning the election and leading to Reese even calling victory days before the results were announced. During this period however, Jean Caddam was very calm about the results of the election, regularly going out drinking with associate and friends as well as assuring his victory to the press and public. This was initially just seen as optimism but would later be used against Caddam in the investigation.

### Results of the 2023 Tedusian Presidential Election

On the 1st of June 2023, the results of the election was announced and gave Jean Caddam 118 districts and gave Karl Reese 106 districts. Caddam won 58% of votes and Reese won only 42% of votes leading to confusion among voters, politicians, and the press.

## Reaction & Calls for an Investigation

Voters, politicians, and the press were completely confused by the results and for around a day there was a lot of conversation about the legitimacy of the election. Eventually, Karl Reese and members of the public signed a petition on the 3rd of June that called for an investigation into the results of the election which received 143,000 signatures. The signatures were taken into account by the National Court of Tedesu who decided to open up an official investigation into the fraud claims on the 5th of June, assigning to job to the Tedusian Police Force.

Right-wing press generally favoured the results of the election over the opinion of population and was was considered "just and fair" by the Tedusian National Paper. Centrist and Left-wing press have denounced claims of a just and fair election, instead calling it "unjust, sketchy, and dishonest" from a multitude of newspapers/journalists.

## Investigation

An investigation was officially authorized by the National Court of Tedesu on the 5th of June 2023 and is currently ongoing due to the limited amount of information that has been acquired. The investigation was authorized for 6 months, meaning that it has to be reviewed again on the 5th of January 2024 or it ends.

### Findings

On the 18th of July 2023, messages between the Jean Caddam and a close of friend of his, Martin Walker, was uncovered that included Caddam joking about cheating in the election which led to the court deciding to not take the messages seriously on the 28th of July 2023. On the 3rd of August, the court authorized a search of Caddam's houses, go through his personal information, and search the houses of Caddam's associates and friends. On the 4th of August 2023 an associate of Caddam came forward and confessed his involvement in a plan to cheat the election to win more votes. This claim was taken seriously and has led to an immediate search of Caddam's house on the 6th of August 2023.

#### Search of Caddam's House

On the 6th of August 2023, the houses of Jean Caddam were searched by the Tedusian Police Force. The police immediately found evidence of a planned attack on the capitol if Karl Reese won the Presidential Election and plans to commit fraud in the election in an attempt to win it. His most major plan was hiring allies of Caddam to working in voting booths that switched around half of voters who had voted for Karl Reese to Jean Caddam. This led to a major swing of around 40 districts voting for Jean Caddam instead of Karl Reese. The attack on the capitol included an organized private military that was led by Jean Caddam and his allies. They intended to march on the capitol and take over the Senate, assert control, and then stop Karl Reese from becoming President.

All of these combined findings have been sent to court and Jean Caddam was arrested on the 8th of August 2023. He is set to be put on trial sometime in September of this year.