 According to "The Washington Post", Harris directed the hiring of Dowless for his campaign even though Harris received personal warnings in 2016 that Dowless had almost certainly used questionable tactics to deliver absentee votes in rural Bladen county for Todd Johnson, another losing candidate in the District's Republican congressional 2016 primary.While the allegations of irregularities were being investigated, Harris sought to have himself certified as the winner of the election.In January 2019, Harris filed a petition to have a court certify him as the winner of the election; Harris's petition was rejected that same month.