DA Blodgett Concludes Saugus Recall Election Investigation
The Essex District Attorney's Office has found no creditable evidence of criminal wrongdoing following its investigation into alleged forged signatures on the petitions in support of a Recall Election in the Town of Saugus. The matter was referred to the Essex District Attorney's Office by the Secretary of State’s Office after complaints were made alleging that the petitions contained forged signatures. The Essex District Attorney's Office initiated an investigation to determine if any criminal conduct took place. Primarily, the crimes investigated were forgery, uttering and false making of petition papers.
Over the course of the investigation, the Essex District Attorney's Office reviewed all of the approximately 22,549 signatures on the 1560 recall election petitions, and the reports of a privately retained handwriting consultant. In addition, a State Trooper assigned to the District Attorney’s Office interviewed the individuals who alleged that the petitions contained forgeries, the individuals who submitted the petitions and the individuals whose signatures were identified as “forged.” Further, the office consulted with an agent of the United State Postal Inspection Service concerning handwriting analysis.
The crimes investigated require proof of criminal intent, that is conduct that is willfully false or done with an intent to defraud. Signing the name of a family member does not necessarily violate these criminal statutes due to the criminal intent requirement.
“This was a painstaking and thorough investigation and these allegations were taken very seriously by this office,” District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett said.
The District Attorney’s Office notified the Secretary of State’s Elections Division of these findings.
