6 people charged with forging signatures on Colorado GOP primary ballot
Six people have been charged with forging signatures on a petition to influence the Colorado Secretary of State's Office to include a candidate on the 2022 Republican primary ballot for Colorado's 7th Congressional District.
The six who were charged were allegedly hired by the "Carl Andersen for Congress" campaign.
"Colorado's best-in-class election system depends on individuals playing by the rules and acting with integrity," Colorado Attorney General Weiser said in a statement. "When candidates, their agents, or others in the process are deceitful and break the rules, they must be held accountable. We will continue to take such cases serious and take action when the evidence so warrants."
Screenings found there was an unusually high number of signatures on the petition and the Attorney General's Office said some of them were from deceased voters or voters who had moved out of state.
"Any person who breaks election law should be held accountable," said Secretary of State Jenna Griswold. "My Office will continue to preserve a fair process for candidates to petition onto the ballot in Colorado."
The six suspects – identified as Alex Joseph, Terris Kintchen, Patrick Rimpel, Jordahni Rimpel, Aliyah Moss and Diana Watt -- are charged with one count of attempting to influence a public servant, a class-four felony, and one count of perjury, a class two misdemeanor. No wrongdoing by Andersen is suspected, the Attorney General's Office said.
