On July 1, South Dakota Republican candidate Annette Bosworth was sentenced to three years probation, because she left her 2014 ballot access petitions unattended in her medical office. Some of her patients signed the petition. Later she signed off as the circulator. Because she didn’t actually see the signatures being placed on the petition sheet, she now has twelve felonies on her record, but at least she was not sent to prison. See this story. She will appeal.
In some states, there is no requirement that the circulator of a ballot access petition even sign the petition sheet or otherwise identify himself or herself as the circulator.
Sounds to me like someone who signed that petition when Dr. Bosworth was out of her office, must have reported this, or how else would election officials have known?
True, I admit those 12 signatures which were not verified by her, Dr. Bosworth should have immediately tossed them into the garbage and there would never have been a problem.
One lesson from this is to not listen to so-called political advisers when you as a candidate know the law reads to the contrary.
I hope she does not lose her medical license. She put in too many years to obtain that license and this minor offence should not justify that kind of penalty.
This is another reason why Independents and 3r party candidate should be allowed to qualify by paying a filing fee. And since Dr. Bosworth was seeking the GOP nomination, major party candidates should have the same option of paying a filing fee.
Annette Bosworth was convicted of perjury and filing a false document. She was not convicted for leaving a petition in her office. Not all of the petitions were when she was out of the office. She had mailed others to Hutterite colonies and repeatedly urged circulation. After the circulator had returned the petition, she signed as circulator.
Her former attorney testified that she clearly understood the law, having watched her at a Lincoln Day Dinner explaining the rules to other potential circulators about their legal responsibility.
An unremorseful Republican candidate caught cheating and/or lying who didn’t pay attention to the details or who thought they were above the rules and then blames others for their own actions.
Hmmm…where have I seen that before?
New Age elections are one more part of National Security stuff ???
If this case went before a jury knowing their rights to judge the law and fact, just maybe we’d have seen a different outcome. The punishment didn’t fit the crime.
Yeah David but South Dakota doesn’t allow the guillotine!
What crime? The only crime is that there would be a “law” making it illegal to leave a petition in a waiting room or requiring only one person to sign off as a circulator. Anyone who passes, signs off on or enforces such a “law” should be treated as the dangerous (and in most cases armed) criminals they actually are. Keeping them from harming others is of prime priority, although it would also be an act of mercy to put them out of their misery as well.
As for the doctor, she deserves a public apology from every single person involved in any way shape or form with this insne miscarriage of justice, compensation for any time and money she has lost or will lose as a result, and the right to exact the revenge of her choosing on those who have done her wrong. As a medical professional, she should be well aware of how to make it as painful as possible for these miscreants.
There is not a law that only one person can be a circulator.
There is a law that each signature must be witnessed by the circulator, and that the circulator must swear an oath that they did in fact witness the signing.
Each person on a page. That would be as I said requiring only one person to sign off as a circulator on a page. A page could be passed around from one person to another, or left in a waiting room or store counter somewhere. It could be at a table that more than one person is working or that no person is working. What if a wife and husband print it off at home or get it in the mail, sign it and mail it in, one of them has to sign off as a circulator? Why? In fact why should anyone have to sign off as a circulator, ever? It’s absolutely ridiculous to have a law like that, as this case illustrates.
Yes, she was persecuted for perjury, but the perjury was over violating an absolutely nonsensical and ridiculous edict that should never exist in the first place.
“There is a law that each signature must be witnessed by the circulator, and that the circulator must swear an oath that they did in fact witness the signing.”
All such laws should be declared to be an unconstitutional infringement of the right to petition for redress of grievances.
Do you have personal knowledge that any additional Bosworth petitions were collected in the manner you suggest?
Never suggested that any were, nor would I know. I am speaking of petitions in general. These “laws” are a travesty.