The ongoing criminal investigation into Scott Taylor's election fraud scheme yielded another guilty plea today when a second staffer admitted to falsifying documents in order to put a third party candidate on the ballot in 2018. Earlier this year, the first Scott Taylor campaign staffer was indicted for election fraud and pled guilty. Roberta Marciano, Taylor's former regional field director who pled guilty today, was indicted shortly after in March. And two weeks ago, a third Scott Taylor staffer was indicted, while prosecutor John Beamer said he expects to see at least one more indictment. Despite what Taylor has said, Beamer made it clear that nobody has been exonerated, including Taylor. “He’s part of the campaign and the whole campaign is under investigation,” Beamer said.
13 News Now: Former Scott Taylor campaign staffer pleads guilty to election fraud
Another former staffer of Scott Taylor's 2018 re-election campaign pleaded guilty Thursday to election fraud.
Roberta Marciano was in court Thursday after she was initially charged with two counts of election fraud.
Marciano worked on the re-election campaign for Republican Scott Taylor in the 2nd Congressional District, which covers Virginia Beach, Williamsburg and parts of Norfolk, Hampton and the Eastern Shore.
In court, 24-year-old Marciano confessed that she falsified campaign documents put former third-party candidate Shaun Brown on the ballot in the November 2018 election. She was sentenced to one year behind bars.
WAVY: Former Scott Taylor staffer pleads guilty to election fraud charges
A former campaign staffer of congressional candidate Scott Taylor pleaded guilty to election fraud charges related to Taylor’s 2018 campaign.
Roberta Marciano faced two counts of making false statements on a 2018 election petition. The penalty was 1 year in jail, but the judge suspended the term and instead fined her $1,000.
Marciano was indicted back in March, one of multiple people who circulated petitions during Taylor’s 2018 re-election campaign to get third-party candidate Shaun Brown on the ballot in order to siphon votes from opponent Elaine Luria in the 2nd District race. Luria, a Democrat, won the election and is running against Taylor again this year.
Two other former staffers have also been charged so far. In March Lauren Peabody, formerly Lauren Creekmore, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of woeful neglect of election duties in the case.
Heather Guillot was indicted earlier this month on one charge of making false statements/election fraud.
###