CT 04: Did Hermann's camp forge petition signatures?

Someone in Norwalk thinks so...

Norwalker Patricia Risley says she didn't sign a petition endorsing Easton Republican Tom Herrmann's request for a primary election for the 4th Congressional District seat.

Yet Risley's name appears on one of numerous petition candidacy pages submitted by Herrmann's campaign to the Norwalk Registrar of Voter's office. The matter has left Risley disappointed and her husband, Republican Town Committee Chairman Art Scialabba, filing a complaint with the state Elections Enforcement Commission.

"I did not sign for Mr. Herrmann," said Risley, who early Wednesday evening hadn't seen the petition page yet but assured that she didn't sign it. "It's dishonest and it's not what our Democracy is all about."

Late Wednesday afternoon, Scialabba stood inside the Registrar of Voter's Office at City Hall and reviewed the petition entry, as he had a notary sign the affidavit of complaint which he plans to mail to the Enforcement Commission.

[...]

The Herrmann campaign delivered 41 pages of petition signatures to the Norwalk Registrar's of Voter's office, asking that Herrmann's name appear on the ballot in an August primary election, according to Democratic Registrar Stuart W. Wells.

Scialabba and Risley live at 2 Acacia St. in Norwalk. On line four of one petition page delivered by the Herrmann campaign appears an illegible signature, followed by the barely legible printed name 'Patricia Risley', a birth date and street address of '16 Acacia St.' Scialabba notes that there is no such address -- No. 12 is the last address on Acacia Street.

Asked if the signature is his wife's, Scialabba said: "Absolutely not. You can read her signature." Scialabba compared the illegible signature to Risley's signature as it appears on her voter registration card in the registrars' office.

[...]

Scialabba said he was informed of the forgery by Republican Registrar of Voters Karen Doyle Lyons. She and Wells and their staff are responsible for verifying that petition candidacy signatures delivered to their office belong to Norwalk residents. For primary elections, petition signers must belong to the political party for which they are seeking a primary.

Doyle Lyons told The Hour that she recognized that the address next to Risley's name was incorrect. She contacted Scialabba and also the Elections Enforcement Commission.

The race for the GOP nomination in the 4th CD is bizarre to say the least...