See below from WTKR. Both Republicans and Democrats should be outraged by this. The actions of Congressman Scott Taylor's paid staff and the signatures they collected must be investigated immediately.
Dead man’s name appears on petition to get local congressional candidate on ballot
BY BRENDAN PONTON
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – R. Stuart Cake was a lifelong Hampton Roads resident, known for volunteering for many organizations until he passed away in April.
That’s why it was a surprise for family and friends to discover his name among those on a petition to get Shaun Brown on the ballot this fall.
“I was shocked that someone would stoop to using names of people who are no longer with us,” said Bet Cake, his widow.
Cake’s signature as it appears on the petition
“If Stuart were here, he would be very angry that someone used his name fraudulently,” Cake said.
R. Stuart Cake’s real signature, according to his widow
Last week, WHRO first reported Taylor’s campaign staff collected signatures to help Brown get on the ballot as an independent candidate. Taylor told News 3 “people were upset” with the primary process and wanted to help Brown. Faced with further questioning a campaign spokesman said political calculations were also a factor in the assistance.
Taylor, Brown, and Democrat Elaine Luria are all running to represent the second congressional district, which includes Virginia Beach, the Eastern Shore, parts of Norfolk, and parts of the Peninsula. Having both Brown, who originally ran as a Democrat, and Luria on the ballot could split the democratic vote, especially if the race is close.
In an interview on Monday, Taylor denied his staff forged any signatures. “Of course she didn’t forge it,” Taylor said. “You can look at the handwriting. It’s all different.”
Taylor says this is all a Democratic effort to make him look bad and says his team has done nothing wrong. “I don’t know who signed the thing,” he said. “It’s up to the state board of elections to say this is bad or this is good in terms of signatures.”
Shaun Brown says she didn’t know about Taylor’s team’s efforts.