Sign here on the dotted line ... not

Big-time fraud found in initiative petitions

seattlepi.com

A big-time case of “apparent fraud” and bogus signatures in petitions for statewide ballot initiatives — including Tim Eyman’s I-517, which has already qualified for the ballot — was disclosed late Wednesday by the Secretary of State’s office in Olympia.

The fraud involves more than 8,000 signatures collected for two campaigns that have hired paid signature gatherers, I-517 and I-522, which deals with genetically modified foods.

In one case, a signature mercenary submitted 3,000 signatures for I-517, a measure which benefits the “initiative industry” by extending the time to gather signatures and outlawing “harassment” of those distributing petitions.

Out of those signatures, fewer than 5 percent were valid. The same mercenary submitted 2,371 signatures for I-522, less than 4 percent of them valid.

Secretary of State Kim Wyman, the state’s chief elections officer, was furious and called for criminal action. Signature fraud is a Class C felony punishable by a prison sentence of up to five years.

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