Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin is praising the not guilty verdict in the ballot fraud trial.

NewsChannel 13 caught up with the county executive Wednesday, as three of his senior staff members were also found not guilty on charges of conspiring to file fake ballots in the 2021 elections.

“There was no crime here. The jury saw through that. We’re very thankful for that,” said McLaughlin. “This needs to be a lesson to all Americans, not just those here in Rensselaer County or the Capital Region, but all Americans need to know that this is a weaponized justice system that will target you and come after you just because of your politics.”

McLaughlin faced his own charges 18 months ago, and was on trial on campaign finance charges. He was quickly found not guilty by a jury. He was not a defendant in this case.