Three former campaign workers for Councilwoman Maria del Carmen Arroyo were officially charged with fraud Wednesday.
Betty Julien, Elbin Lopez and Luis Vargas were quietly arrested Tuesday night — eight months after being accused by the elected official of forging signatures for her reelection petitions.
The trio of hired staffers were fingered by the Councilwoman after volunteers for her primary challenger, Julio Pabon, noticed names such as Derek Jeter Jr. and Kate Moss on the rolls.
“I thought this was all behind me,” said Lopez, 49, looking dazed as he left the courtroom.
Arroyo, who went on to win both the primary and general elections, was nearly booted from the ballot for lack of legitimate signatures.
A staggering 81% of the 3,339 signatures filed by the campaign were deemed invalid.
After accusations of fraud were filed against Arroyo by a lawyer for Pabon’s campaign, the councilwoman claimed she and her mother, Assemblywoman Carmen Arroyo, were the first to notice page after page of forgeries in the petitions.
“We have concluded that they falsified these documents,” Arroyo said during a Board of Elections hearing in July. The Councilwoman added that the only thing she thought she was guilty of was “trusting people too much.”
9 comments:
So why wasn't Carmen arrested too?? This isn't the first tine she has been embroiled in questionable political antics.
If 81% of the signatures were fraudulent, hoe did she go on to win the election??????????
Not surprising.
Shame on the people who voted for her, her lack of honesty, integrity and honor are well documented and we'll known. Her constituents live day to day and paycheck to paycheck but she is doing very well. They don't see that?
Anon #2:
There is a limited time period in which to contest petitions. It can lead to indictment for election fraud, but it can't lead to recall unless the politician loses the office.
If Pabon had filed his complaint during the window period, it could have had the intended effect. Any candidate with a little money will hire a lawyer to file a challenge against all other candidates regardless.
She has her demographics locked up. Thats all it takes to win.
Anon#6, you are 100% correct, for a political party that makes claims of inclusion and screaming constantly how they are the only ones who aren't racist, they sure highlight and constantly remind people of their race and how they should vote because of it
Let's take a vote-how many believe she didn't know there were fake signatures?
the buck stops at the top.this woman is pulling a christie
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