They call it the “Big Lie.”

But perhaps the really big lie is that there is no vote fraud.

After all, a new criminal case in Philadelphia, where vote-fraud cases are becoming common, suggests the worst actually is happening.

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It’s Hans von Spakovsky, a senior legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation and former commissioner on the Federal Election Commission, who explained in a column at The Daily Signal about the evidence.

He explains this is just the latest situation in Philadelphia’s “long, unfortunate history of election fraud.”

This case involves Marie Beren, a former city council staffer, who is accused by acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania of voting more than once in a federal election, conspiring to illegally vote in a federal election and to deprive persons of their civil rights, and aiding and abetting submission of fraudulent ballots.

Von Spakovsky explained the case alleges Beren for a time was an election judge made responsible for three polling places in Philadelphia’s 29th Ward by “Consultant #1.”

The court documents allege Beren then became a “certified poll watcher” but still “ran things,” including recruiting and installing all election officials in those locations.

The commentary said, “The way this fraud unfolded, according to the Justice Department, is that Consultant #1 would give ‘Beren directions to add fraudulent votes to candidates supported by Consultant #1, including candidates for judicial office whose campaigns actually hired Consultant #1, and other candidates for various federal, state, and local elective offices.’

“After getting her instructions from Consultant #1, Beren would ‘cast fraudulent votes’ in her polling places ‘on behalf of voters she knew would not physically appear at the polls.'”

Beren also, allegedly, would report on how many “legit votes” were cast and also “shift her efforts from one of Consultant #1’s preferred candidates to another.'”

She also would not only allow, but “encourage” voters to cast ballots for other family members, and “tell them which candidates to vote for.”

The scheme allegedly took place in both primary and general elections over recent years.

Von Spakovsky reported “Consultant #1” likely is Michael Myers, a former congressman who was accused last year of paying bribes to another Philadelphia election official. He is the same Myers who was thrown out of Congress and given three years in prison in the 1980s after being caught in the famed Abscam scandal, the FBI sting that targeted members of Congress with a fake Arab sheikh offering bribes.

The commentary pointed out while the current case involves allegations only so far, another Philadelphia election official already has pleaded guilty to taking bribes “to stuff ballot boxes with fraudulent ballots.”

The Department of Justice said that would be Domenick Demuro, who admitted a political “consultant” gave him directions and paid him to manipulate votes.

“Sound familiar?” von Spakovsky wrote.

“For anyone who doubts that fraud occurs in our elections—particularly in Philadelphia—this should be a wake-up call to the seriousness of this problem.”