Spa candidate convicted of mishandling ballot petitions – Times Union

SARATOGA SPRINGS A 2021 candidate for city office was convicted Tuesday in Saratoga Springs City Court on one of two misdemeanor counts of mishandling her ballot petitions.

Republican Samantha Guerratook an Alford plea, acknowledging that there was, as a special prosecutor said, overwhelming evidence the ballot petitions she swore to have witnessed contained blatant forgeries." But the plea allows her to maintain her innocence.

She specifically swore to that she personally observed all of the signatures on the petitions and personally confirmed the identity of the signers, Schenectady County Assistant District Attorney John Carson said outside of the courtroom. Based on all of the evidence, that simply could not be true.

Her conviction, which has no punishment or fine as its an unclassified misdemeanor, comes six months after Democrats accused her of forging her petitions to gain an additional, independent line on the November ballot. The signatures were collected even though she had already secured the Republican, Conservative and Working Families Party lines.

Her attorney, Oscar Schreiber, said her November arrest, just days after she lost the election, was political. He is also calling on the State Police to arrest the person who forged the signatures on Guerras ballots.

During my meeting with the State Police, I informed them of whom allegedly forged the signatures on the petitions, said Schreiber who would not reveal the name to the Times Union. That campaign worker added names without Samanthas knowledge ... Im calling on the State Police to arrest that person for forgery. If they chose not to, then that only proves that her arrest was politically motivated and she was targeted and nothing else.

Carson, who was a special Schenectady County assistant district attorney named to the case, said the forgeries were obvious, contained in block lettering, not signatures, printed names that appear to be the same handwriting for multiple names and multiple addresses.

"State Police conducted a lengthy investigation and interviewed nearly every person that they could track down from those two petitions, each petition carrying 20 signatures, Carson said. A number of those interviewed and who provided written statements said they never signed the petitions despite their name appearing and never gave anyone permission to put their name of the petition.

He also said a number of the petition lines included incorrect addresses, incorrect names and nicknames that were not actual legal voting names.

The most glaring example was a witness who purportedly signed the petition (who) was in the state of Florida on vacation, Carson said. He said taking all the evidence together, "this was a particularly flagrant and indefensible.

Schreiber emphasized however, that Guerra is only guilty of trusting her campaign workers.

Samantha today simply admitted that there is enough evidence against her that would likely result in trial, said Schreiber, who was assisted in court by former congressman John Sweeney. No one ever accused Samantha of forging anything. Samantha was a political newcomer. She relied, to her detriment, on her campaign committee.

Carson said that he is fine with the idea that Guerra will not face any punishment,saying the main thing is that she was held accountable.

Did it affect the election? No, she did not win the election, Carson said. But filing of documents matter ... a conviction is still appropriate.

Both attorneys acknowledge that things could have been worse for Guerra if she was charged with filing a false instrument, a felony. However, there was no proof, they both say, that she herself wrote in those names.

Despite her legal troubles, Guerra said she may try to get on an election ballot again.

I might, she said as she left City Hall. I havent decided yet.

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Spa candidate convicted of mishandling ballot petitions - Times Union