HARRISBURG, PA — An Allegheny County man has been charged for allegedly forging signatures on nomination petitions during the 2022 Democratic primary race for the state’s 12th Congressional District.
Attorney General Michelle Henry announced the charges against Kirk Rice, 64, on Wednesday. Rice was employed by a congressional candidate to gather the necessary signatures for ballot inclusion. Among the 437 signatures Rice procured, a significant portion appeared to be falsified or forged. The candidate Rice represented did not ultimately win their bid for office.
Rice now faces a litany of charges that include 33 counts each of identity theft and forgery, one count of theft by deception, two counts each of unsworn falsification, perjury, nomination petition, and false signatures.
Attorney General Henry underscored the gravity of the charges. “Free and fair elections are the bedrock of our democracy,” she said. “This case alleges a serious violation of this principle. Instead of legally obtaining signatures, the defendant is accused of largely falsifying the information that secured a ballot spot for his client. This serves as a stark reminder that tampering with Pennsylvania’s election process is a grave offense that will always be treated as such by this office.”
The Office of Attorney General’s investigation into the matter alleges that Rice forged names, addresses, and signatures of dozens of individuals on the nomination petitions. Many individuals whose signatures appeared on the petitions denied signing them, and several were discovered to reside out of state. In certain instances, names were duplicated or rearranged on different pages.
Senior Deputy Attorney General Alexander Cashman is prosecuting the case. It’s important to note that all charges are currently allegations, and Rice is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
For the latest news on everything happening in Chester County and the surrounding area, be sure to follow MyChesCo on Google News and MSN.