By Paul Farrell For Dailymail.Com
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The voting rights activist who bought an allegedly stolen Dominion voting machine on eBay is still waiting for authorities to contact him about the purchase.
Last week, Harri Hursti, a Connecticut-based computer programmer and activist, said that he bought the machine on the online marketplace for $1200.
He went on to say that he contacted authorities in Michigan, where the machine originated, to tell them about his purchase. Hursti told CNN at the time that the machine was still sealed in its box in his home.
On Sunday, Hursti told DailyMail.com exclusively that the box is still in his home and that he hasn’t heard from authorities since last Monday.
The Finnish native explained that if the machine is stolen, as is claimed by Michigan officials, it would be first ever stolen voting machine in US history.
Hursti said that while there is a documented history of voting machines being left behind in places or not being picked up after elections, there is no record of one being stolen.
On Sunday, Hursti told DailyMail.com exclusively that the box is still in his home and that he hasn’t heard from authorities in Michigan since last Monday
Michigan has been fighting claims of voter fraud since the 2020 presidential election from forces close to Donald Trump
Before Hursti even received his purchase, he said that he contacted several states to see if any were missing a machine, none said that they were
He went on to say that it’s the duty of the Michigan Secretary of State’s office to carry out the initial investigation into election issues such as this. From there, the office will decide whether or not to refer the investigation on.
Before Hursti even received his purchase, he said that he contacted several states to see if any were missing a machine, none said that they were.
On Thursday, a spokesman for the Michigan State Police, Lt. Derrick Carroll told the Detroit News that his office was investigating the sale.
The tabulator was sold on eBay by an Ohio Uber driver who picked it up online from a goodwill store, according to a CNN report.
The Uber driver, Ean Hutchison, said he bought the machine online for just eight dollars from a goodwill store that’s based in Cadillac, Michigan, just under 100 miles north of Grand Rapids.
Hutchison was the only bidder in an online auction for the machine. He told CNN that it was the ‘Dominion Voting’ label on the screen that piqued his interest.
He in turn sold it to Hursti for $1200. Hursti told authorities immediately after bought the machine.
Speaking to DailyMail.com, Hursti said that he spends time researching and looking for voting machines that might show up for sale online. He was referred to the presence of the Dominion machine on eBay by a friend.
It’s not clear if the goodwill store knew what exactly the machine was when they put it up for sale.
Hutchison teased potential buyers on eBay saying: ‘Dominion ImageCast X voting machine from Michigan, own a piece of history. This machine voting machine was one of thousands used in the 2020 US presidential election.’
He told O’Sullivan: ‘As far as I was aware, it was a completely legal sale on my end.’
Hursti said in the piece that he has been advised by law enforcement not to open the box that the machine came in.
When he was told how much Hutchison paid originally for the machine, Hursti said: ‘I’m really surprised about this. I mean, eight dollars. He made a good profit.’
Uber driver Ean Hutchison said that he offered potential buyers a chance to ‘own a piece of history’
Michigan Secretary of Sate Jocelyn Benson appears in the CNN piece to assure voters nationwide that the state’s election practices are secure
He went on to say that it was only after he contacted officials in Michigan about the machine did they realize it was gone.
Hursti said: ‘It is shocking that only when we started asking, “Does it belong somewhere?” Only after that, did they realize it had been stolen.’
Michigan Secretary of Sate Jocelyn Benson appears in the CNN piece to assure voters nationwide that the state’s election practices are secure.
Benson said: ‘Michigan’s elections are secure. Before every election, we test every machine for accuracy. We’ve never seen, even with this unauthorized access to machines, any actual evidence of any challenges or wrongdoing or lack of security in the process.’
She spoke of a ‘nationally coordinated effort’ to interfere in elections amid claims by conservatives and ex-President Donald Trump that the 2020 presidential election was rigged.
Benson said that she is working with police to figure out how the machine ended up being sold. The voting machine is from the Colfax Township in Wexford County in Michigan.
The Colfax Township has a population of 763 people.
Wexford County Clerk Alaina Nyman told The Detroit News that the machine went missing prior to the state’s August 2 Democratic gubernatorial primary.
Nyman said: ‘Please know that election security in Wexford County has been, and will continue to be, my top priority.’
The Detroit News report goes on to mention that a special prosecutor is to be appointed to investigate various state Republicans and their attempts to gain access to the state’s election technology.
Authorities believe that their efforts are part of an elaborate plan to prove ex-President Donald Trump’s allegations that the 2020 election was stolen.
Published by Associated Newspapers Ltd
Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group