'The feature, not the bug': CNN analyst nails why NC Republican operative at the center of voter fraud scandal

A senior CNN political analyst explained why a crooked North Carolina GOP operative was allowed to work in an election that's garnered national attention over claims of absentee ballot voter fraud.

Earlier in the week, the NC Board of Elections declined to certify Republican Mark Harris' apparent victory over Democrat Dan McReady. Soon after, news broke that the state is investigating claims that Leslie McCrae Dowless, a GOP operative with past fraud convictions, tampered with absentee ballots on behalf of Harris.

"Multiple voters described an unidentified woman coming to voters’ houses and taking their absentee ballots," Vox reported. "Some ballots were uncompleted; the woman promised to finish filling them out. In other affidavits, voters alleged that a local political operative was working for the Harris campaign on absentee ballots and that he would be paid a bonus if Harris beat McCready."

CNN senior political analyst John Avlon noted that Dowless' hiring was "the feature, not the bug" in the Harris election. 

"Him being hired was for, apparently, the skill set," Avlon noted. Indeed, the operative was also accused of paying volunteers to turn over absentee ballots to him in 2016.

"What you have is absentee ballot fraud," the analyst said. "After all the president's fearmongering about voter fraud, a real live case on our hands."

Avlon noted that naturally, "we haven't heard boo from the president" about the alleged fraud.

Watch below via CNN: