VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WVEC) — Questionable signatures on petitions in the Second District Congressional race are resulting in more lawsuits.
Attorney Gary C. Byler said he is putting the finishing touches on a series of lawsuits to file by Wednesday. He told 13News Now he is filing suit against at least two people, who signed the affidavits on the petitions in question. Those people swore they witnessed the signing of the petitions and that the signatures are not forged.
Byler would not confirm the names of the victims and defendants. But, we’ve told you some of the signatures in question were collected by staffers of Republican Incumbent Scott Taylor.
Statement from Rep. Scott Taylor:
This lawsuit is without merit, and it is disappointing Gary Byler would file these after having to settle a case with me after his campaign sent out fraudulent material against me and he was compelled to publicly apologize. He has been a longtime political opponent and this is a continuation of that and nothing more.
It is worth noting for context, Taylor beat Byler in a hotly contested Republican primary for the House of Delegates in 2013.
This comes as the Democrats asked a judge should invalidate all petitions submitted to get an independent candidate on the ballot in the Second Congressional District race.
Late Friday, lawyers filed new evidence in the Party’s lawsuit to make sure Shaun Brown does not appear on the ballot in November.
They're focusing on inconsistencies with Brown's address, which 13News Now has reported. Lawyers for the Democrats actually included stories from a 13News Now investigation as exhibits in these new filings.
They wrote recent news reports and further investigation by the Party revealed none of the addresses listed on the front of the petitions were, in fact, Brown's address.
Many of the petitions show the address 5887 Campus Drive, as the "residence address of the candidate." As we’ve reported, according to property records, that address doesn't exist.
The other petitions show the address 3683 Windmill Drive, as Brown's address. According to the filing, business records show during this timeframe, that property was vacant.
Democrats are using a part of Virginia law, which we've shown you, to argue all of Brown's petitions should be invalidated. It reads if: "The petition does not have the name ... and address of the candidate on the front of the form," the petition "shall be rendered invalid."
Brown's attorney argued her correct address is not material. He believes what's at issue is people signing the petition to support Brown; her correct address on the document shouldn't matter.
The filings also cite what the Independent candidate told us: “I had no idea,” Shaun Brown said in an interview with 13News Now. “I knew nothing about what was happening.”
The Party, however, alleges there are evidence staffers for Republican Incumbent Scott Taylor, who gathered many of the signatures in question, "we're working in concert" with Brown. Lawyers believe petitions circulated by Brown and those circulated by Taylor's staffers appear to have been made on the same copy machine. There is a photocopy line, near the candidate's name, which appears on all of them.
"More information is being uncovered almost daily," the filing said. A hearing, in this case, is scheduled for Wednesday of next week in Richmond Circuit Court.
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