Supporters of Donald Trump are engaging in a "voter suppression" strategy under which pro-Clinton "African Americans and suburban mothers" are being persuaded not to vote, a campaigner told undercover Daily Telegraph reporters.
A senior figure involved in funding efforts to support the billionaire's campaign against Hillary Clinton boasted of how activists had adopted a scheme to "try to drop her turnout two or three points" in key areas of the country. Jesse Benton, who described himself as a "consultant" to the Great America PAC, one of the leading "independent" groups financing campaign work for Mr Trump, said the strategy involved "trying to take their taste for her away".
The disclosure appears to confirm suspicions that pro-Trump campaigners have been deliberately focusing on dissuading groups of Clinton supporters from voting.
Separately, Mr Trump's own claims that the election is "rigged" and that his supporters should monitor specific areas on polling day for potential fraud have been alleged by Democrats to be intended to create a climate of harassment to prevent Clinton voters "from showing up".
On Monday, the tycoon directed a similar claim at the Clinton campaign, accusing it of "oversampling" Democrats in polls in order to skew the results. "It's called voter suppression because people will say, 'oh, gee, Trump's down'," he said.
Today's disclosures come after The Daily Telegraph revealed how Mr Benton contacted reporters to arrange a donation after being given their contact details by Eric Beach, the co-chairman of Great America PAC. One of the reporters had approached Mr Beach to explain that a Chinese client wished to contribute. It is illegal for foreign nationals to donate in connection with a US federal election.
Mr Benton - a senior figure at the PAC until his conviction in May in connection with buying a senator's endorsement during the previous presidential election - met two reporters posing as representatives of the would-be donor.
During the conversation he said that the group was "focusing very tightly" on four states: Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Colorado.
At the meeting in a New York hotel on Oct 13, he added: "In Cleveland [in Ohio], if we can return Hillary to normal turnout levels ... we can turn her to regular turnout levels she's gonna lose about 60,000 votes in that area - that's dead heat.
"So we have a voter suppression campaign quite frankly, targeting African Americans, and uh, and sort of, suburban mums, just bad stuff about Hillary, just trying to take their taste for her away."
"I see," one of the reporters replied. "So that they don't turn out [to vote]?"
"Yeah just keep them - just try to drop her turnout two or three points. And then in south-eastern Ohio, there are about 19 counties where it's just - you know counties, you guys have counties in England - it's just run up the score, run up the score, run up the score.
"And we think we are on our way there. Pennsylvania has a similar story."
Mr Benton said a proposed illicit $2 million (pounds 1.6 million) donation by the fictitious client would be used to fund pro-Trump campaign work.
This week, following a series of questions from The Daily Telegraph about his actions, Mr Benton said he was not "an agent of Great America PAC", while the PAC also denied he had carried out any work for the organisation since May. Mr Benton said he may have been "overselling my stature and connectedness" and denied any "unethical" behaviour.
Dan Backer, counsel to the PAC, said Mr Benton "does not speak for the PAC" and that Mr Beach had simply made a "professional referral" to him.
He had "no idea what Mr Benton is talking about" in relation to voter suppression and found the suggestion "reprehensible". He added: "It is common knowledge that moving African American [sic] and suburban moms from the Democrat to Republican column would be good for the Republicans, and of course the PAC - and many others - tries to do so." He said the PAC had never "solicited or accepted contributions from a foreign national or entity" and that "the conduct of the PAC and Mr Beach's conduct was appropriate, ethical and legal at all times".