When Mitt Romney voted for Scott Brown in last year’s Massachusetts special election, his voter registration listed him as living in his son’s basement. Considering Romney is worth $500 million, that little tidbit struck Fred Karger—one of Romney’s opponents in the 2012 presidential race—as odd. Karger is alleging Romney committed voter fraud by voting in Massachusetts when he was not actually a resident, and wants the state to open an investigation, Mother Jones reports.
By Karger’s timeline, Romney and his wife bought a $12.5 million home in California in 2008 and began attending political events there, then sold their Massachusetts home in 2009 (which is when they registered using the address of their son’s basement). There was also a report in 2009 that the Romneys’ primary residence was in New Hampshire, where they have a $10 million estate. They finally bought a new home in Massachusetts in July 2010, after the special election to fill Ted Kennedy's seat (which Romney voted in). But Belmont, Mass., residents concur that the Romneys haven’t been seen in town in years, and Romney’s wife allegedly told Karger in April they live in California. The penalty for fraudulent voter registration in the state? $10,000 and up to five years in jail. (More Mitt Romney stories.)