TROY — Two defendants in the ballot-fraud case claimed Monday that they were the victims of forged documents introduced at their trial earlier this year.
Rensselaer County Democratic Elections Commissioner Edward McDonough and former City Councilman Michael LoPorto went to the Troy Police Department to file a complaint about the forged documents.
http://liarcatchers.com/fraud_investigation.html
“We’re alleging there was a forged document in our case presented against us,” LoPorto said.
They are seeking a police investigation into the alleged forgery.
McDonough and LoPorto were on trial in Rensselaer County Court for more than two months earlier this year for their alleged roles in a Democratic scheme to steal the 2009 Working Families Party primary for Troy City Council by forging absentee ballots.
The case ended with a hung jury. The two are expected to be retried later this year.
McDonough and LoPorto claimed that Jolene M. VanVranken’s signature was forged on an affidavit presented to the grand jury. They said they didn’t know who forged the document, but noted that Special Prosecutor Trey Smith notarized the affidavit, indicating he saw Van Vranken sign it.
Smith could not be immediately reached for comment.
The issue of the document came up during VanVranken’s testimony at the trial. At that time, she said she did not sign the statement.
“That signature was not Mrs. VanVranken’s. Who forged the document that was presented at our trial?” McDonough said Monday.
McDonough and LoPorto said they have hired a private investigator. They said they are also seeking to find Jermaine Joseph, another witness who testified that he did not sign a document in evidence.
McDonough and LoPorto produced a statement from Robert Baier, a handwriting expert whom they hired, saying it was not VanVranken’s signature on the document in question.
