Councilor fined $8,000 for faking Governor's signature
From Sunshine Review
24 November 2008
In the final days of the primary race last September, Governor's Councilor Kelly A. Timilty's campaign sent out a mailing featuring a picture of Timilty with Gov. Deval Patrick, along with a letter signed by him. It turned out, however, that the letter was a fake and the signature had been illegally copied.[1]
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[edit] $8,000 fine
In order to settle the matter, Timilty agreed to pay an $8,000 fine. Attorney General Martha Coakley pointed out that amount is eight times higher than she could have been fined if Timilty had been criminally convicted of claiming a false endorsement. Additionally, Timilty's campaign agreed that for the next four years they will obtain express written consent for any endorsements.
When she had been questioned about the fake endorsement after winning the primary, Timilty said she “just assumed it was OK” as she had been at several events with the Governor.[1]
[edit] Reaction
Timilty apologized to the Patrick, expressing regret for the situation. In response, Elizabeth Morningstar, Executive Director of the Deval Patrick Committee, issued a statement, "The governor appreciates the attorney general's efforts in ensuring strict enforcement of our election protection laws and in bringing this matter to a prompt resolution for all concerned."[1]
Her opponent in the primary, Robert L. Jubinville, has not issued any challenge to her victory, despite her campaign having broke the law. Explaining his inactivity, Jubinville said, “I guess I felt that I shouldn’t get on a crusade here. I would rather take the high road on this thing. It is what it is. She certainly has given me a significant amount of ammunition for next time."[2]
