I-1098 signature gatherer charged with forgery

[mjane]

Source: KOMO Staff

OLYMPIA -- A 52-year-old woman has been charged with forging several names while gathering signatures for Initiative 1098.

Claudia McKinney turned in 349 names on 20 petition sheets in support of I-1098, which seeks to impose an income tax on Washington state's wealthier residents, according to the statement of probable cause.

But the Secretary of State's Office became suspicious during routine spot-checking of signatures when they found 125 of the signatures turned in by McKinney did not appear to be legitimate, and 186 others were of non-registered voters, detectives said.

Those 20 petitions were set aside and not counted in the overall petition signature check on the initiative, which still easily passed muster and will be on the November ballot.


Read more: http://www.komonews.com/news/local/103000089.html

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Article continues to describe the results of the investigation (signature analysis, contact of witnesses, etc.)