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Anonymous ID: 8e188d May 6, 2019, 8:58 p.m. No.6434695   🗄️.is đź”—kun

Former GOP congressman’s campaign aide charged in petition forgery scam

 

A former campaign staffer for ex-Rep. Scott Taylor, R-Va., was indicted by a federal grand jury Monday for a scheme forging signatures on a petition to convince a third-party candidate to run. Lauren Creekmore Peabody, who was charged with two counts of election fraud, was one of several campaign staffers who distributed petitions to help get Shaun Brown, an independent candidate, on the ballot against Taylor and Democrat Elaine Luria in the 2018 midterm elections. The ploy was designed to detract votes from Luria and help Taylor keep his seat. Luria won the contest, defeating Taylor by more than 2 percentage points.

 

Roanoke Commonwealth's Attorney Donald Caldwell conducted an investigation and concluded Taylor's and Brown’s staffers did not coordinate in any way for Brown to enter the race as an independent. Rather, Caldwell said Brown entered the race voluntarily and Taylor’s staff met in June and raised the 1,000 signatures necessary to get on the ballot. The investigation, which is ongoing, is examining the actions of six to eight individuals who are believed to have been involved in the scheme. Caldwell said that Taylor has complied with the investigation.

 

"At this point in time, what actually happened within the campaign headquarters is still a subject of investigation due primarily to the lack of cooperation of key individuals," Caldwell said. "The full explanation of what happened will hopefully be answered in the months to come." Taylor issued a statement Monday claiming that he was unaware of any illegal activity on his campaign. "The special prosecutor's release today makes it concretely clear, as I have maintained all along, I knew nothing about any illegal actions that transpired. Further it is entirely appropriate to hold those accountable for their actions in this matter," Taylor, who ultimately lost the race to Luria, said in a statement. Election fraud is punishable up to 10 years behind bars, along with a $2,500 fine.

 

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/former-gop-congressmans-campaign-aide-charged-in-petition-forgery-scam