At least four voters say their signatures were forged on petitions to qualify an Arizona Libertarian candidate running for Congress to appear on the ballot, according to a report from the Arizona Republic. And now a man whose name is listed as one of the signature gatherers says his name was also forged and claims he’s not involved.
Michelle Martin is seeking to get on the ballot in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District, which includes part of Maricopa County. Martin needed roughly 800 signatures from registered voters to qualify, and her team reportedly submitted approximately 1,200 signatures.
But among the signers’ names were at least four people who claim they never signed any document supporting Martin’s candidacy, the Arizona Republic reported after speaking with those voters.
“That is definitely not me,” Phoenix resident Stephen Riordan said. “Not even close to my signature. That’s very upsetting.”
Shannon Speagle and two other residents told the Arizona Republic a similar story.
“I’m disappointed,” Speagle reportedly said. “It completely delegitimizes this candidacy.” According to the outlet:
Speagle said she got in touch with three of her other neighbors on Friday after learning through The Republic they also were listed on the petition. All three said the images of their signatures were ‘bogus,’ too, Speagle said.
The four signatures were allegedly collected by three different people.
Nine individuals were listed as conducting the signature gathering. One of the nine names was Jeremy Garrett, and as the Republic noted, a Jeremy Garrett on
