Two Suffolk County, New York Board of Elections workers and an Independence Party leader were charged Tuesday with forging signatures in an attempt to improve the chances of Republican candidates. The chair of the East Hampton Town Republican Party, who resigned last week, is expected to be charged Wednesday, Newsday reports.
The names of people who had died years ago were among the alleged forgeries.
The charges include second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, first-degree offering a false instrument for filing, and official misconduct. The now-former GOP chair, Amos Goodman, is accused of submitting nominating petitions that contained at least 43 forgeries.
None of the candidates allegedly boosted won their races. Those charged have pleaded not guilty.
“In a bizarre twist, as reported by the Southampton Press, the soon-to-be-charged Goodman accused the Independence party of forging signatures last summer, the same crime he seems to have committed,” Talking Points Memo adds.
Patch adds that the vice chairperson of the East Hampton Town Independence Party, who is also a former East Hampton Town councilwoman, was also charged.
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