DA launches probe into claims Long Island school clerk trashed ballots to help DJ win election

The Nassau County District Attorney has launched an investigation into a Long Island school election after a clerk was allegedly caught trashing voter ballots to help a local DJ win a school board race.

Hempstead Union Free School District Clerk April Keys and incumbent Board President Victor Pratt — also known as DJ Vic-Lover — are now the subjects of a criminal investigation after the district passed along evidence claiming that Keys ripped up ballots and smuggled them out of her office to a dumpster in an effort to help re-elect Pratt, a spokesperson for DA Anne Donnelly confirmed to The Post.

Hempstead Union Free School District clerk April Keys, smiling. — Hempstead Union Free School District Clerk April Keys is under investigation and may face criminal charges for her role in allegedly helping steal the school board’s May election. Village of Hempstead

A man in a blue shirt picks up envelopes from a blue bag on the floor of a school hallway with light blue lockers. — The night before the election, Pratt was caught on surveillance footage arriving at the clerk’s office that evening carrying a manila folder full of ballots, according to the investigation. New York State Department of Education

The spokesperson declined further comment.

In June, the school district released bombshell findings from an internal probe in a 51-page report that outlined alleged irregularities in its May school board elections.

Pratt won by just 81 votes — boosted by a suspiciously large number of absentee and early mail ballots that netted him the win — even though he came in third on machine voting, the probe found.

The DJ and incumbent board of education trustee racked up 87% of absentee votes and 55% of early mail votes, compared to just 27% of in-person machine votes — while other trustee candidates received fewer than 100 absentee and early mail ballots combined, the probe found.

Election ballots and documents in a box on the ground next to a trash bag. — Investigators found torn-up ballots tossed in the dumpster. New York State Department of Education

Torn New York State early mail ballot application forms. — Torn-up ballots that were recovered from the dumpster. New York State Department of Education

What district officials discovered, according to the investigation, was that Keys — who was in charge of running the election — allegedly tore up officially cast ballots, then smuggled them out of her office and tossed them into the trash with the help of custodian Owen Peters and Pratt himself.

The bombshell revelation by the district prompted New York State to intervene and order a brand new electionslated for Aug. 17. The state also appointed a temporary clerk to oversee the new vote — Neil Boyd, superintendent for the Putnam-Northern Westchester BOCES.

Keys was placed on administrative leave three days after the election, according to the district.

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