Gina LaPlaca is the former mayor of Lumberton Township in New Jersey.
In March of last year, she was arrested for DUI and child endangerment.
But that’s not why she’s going down in flames.
Ms. LaPlaca and her husband, Jason Carty, are charged with forging signatures to get her on the primary ballot this year.
The troublesome couple, who both “collected signatures,” allegedly put people’s names on a nominating petition supporting LaPlaca and signed for them without their consent ahead of the June 3 primary vote.
Multiple individuals who appeared to support the controversial politician told investigators they did not sign or authorize anyone to endorse LaPlaca’s run on their behalf, officials said.
LaPlaca signed the petition swearing she “personally circulated the petition [and] that such petition was signed by each of the signers thereof in his/her own handwriting.”
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Officials did not reveal how many signatures the couple forged, but specified LaPlaca wouldn’t have made the ballot without them.
“Without the fraudulent signatures, the investigation revealed, LaPlaca’s petition would have lacked the requisite number of signatures required to be a candidate for the primary,” the county prosecutor’s office said.
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LaPlaca was charged by summons with Making a False Statement Under Oath, Knowingly Filing a False Petition, two counts of Tampering with Public Records or Information and Falsifying or Tampering with Records.
Carty was charged with Knowingly Filing a False Petition, two counts of Tampering with Public Records or Information and Falsifying or Tampering with Records.
By the way, the alleged forgery accomplished exactly nothing. Ms. LaPlaca finished third, with 323 votes.