Alleged voter fraudster points to Trump pardons – Bucks Round-Up – December 3, 2025
Alleged voter fraudster points to Trump pardons
Matthew Laiss, a man who moved from Bucks County to Florida and who authorities say voted for Donald Trump in both locations, is seeking refuge from prosecution in a spate of recent presidential pardons. Last month, Trump exercised his presidential pardon power on behalf of dozens of individuals who aided his effort to overturn the 2020 election that he lost to Joe Biden. Laiss’s attorneys contend in court filings that the substance of Trump’s pardon proclamations “clearly extend[s]” to Laiss’s own case. He is nevertheless not among the 77 individuals listed in Trump’s pardon. Laiss is accused of voting by mail-in ballot in Bucks County and in person in Florida. The case, brought by federal prosecutors in Philadelphia, could impose prison time if the suspect is convicted. Laiss’s lawyers argued that Trump friends Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, and Mark Meadows each received pardons for “explicitly more egregious conduct” than that Laiss is alleged to have committed. Prosecutors demurred at what they called the defense’s “entirely incorrect” argument, suggesting the presidential pardons don’t apply to cases similar to Laiss’s.
High-speed chase ends with arrest and recovery of weapon
Falls Township Police arrested a 26-year-old man following a high-speed, multi-state chase that began in Trenton and ended with a violent crash Monday night near Stony Hill Road and Woolston Drive. Officers say the red BMW, believed to be connected to a shooting investigation, reached speeds over 100 mph before crashing. The driver, identified as Alix Eugene, allegedly fled the wreck on foot. Police later found him walking along Lincoln Highway with minor injuries. Inside the abandoned vehicle, investigators recovered an AR-15-style rifle. Eugene is facing a slate of charges in New Jersey, including eluding, resisting arrest, and weapons offenses. Falls Township Police are asking anyone with information to contact Corporal Ryan Murphy at 215-302-3302.
AAA: Gas prices drop to lowest levels in four years
Drivers are getting a rare break at the pump. AAA reports the national average for regular gasoline has dipped to $2.99 per gallon — the first time in more than four years prices have fallen below the $3 mark. Analysts credit low crude oil prices, weaker seasonal demand, and the switch to winter-blend gas. Locally, the five-county Philadelphia region averages $3.18 per gallon, slightly below last week but still a few cents higher than last year. “The national gas price average dropping below $3.00 per gallon is welcome news for motorists,” said Jana Tidwell, Manager of Public and Government Affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic. “The national gas price average, as well as many other state gas price averages across the country, has fallen consistently in recent months as crude oil prices have moved below $60 per barrel, gasoline demand has fallen off, and the seasonal switch over to less expensive winter blend gasoline has happened. In addition, the hurricane season did not have an impact on gas prices this year.” Drivers can find the lowest price at the pump at Gasprices.aaa.com.
Joe LeCompte hosts LeCompte in the Morning on WBCB 1490. Bradley Vasoli is the senior editor of The Independence.
