Two Paterson councilmen have been indicted for election fraud and other offenses related to the May 12, 2020 special election, according to state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal.

Grewal says that Councilmen Michael Jackson and Alex Mendez were initially charged in June, along with two other men. All four men are charged with criminal conduct involving mail-in ballots during the election, Grewal said.

The attorney general said that the investigation began when the United States Postal Inspection Service reported that numerous mail-in ballots were found in a mailbox in Haledon and that hundreds more were found in a mailbox in Paterson.

Then-President Donald Trump's campaign cited the Paterson case in its unsuccessful lawsuit to stop New Jersey's vote-by-mail plan for the presidential election.

“As we have seen all too clearly in recent months, public confidence in our democratic process is critical. If anyone tampers with an election in New Jersey and threatens that process, we will hold them accountable,” Grewal said in a statement.

The councilmen are facing several charges, including election fraud and tampering with public records. They could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted of the crimes.