NORTH TONAWANDA
Davis campaign staffer charged with petition fraud
NORTH TONAWANDA — A staff member of last year’s Jack Davis congressional campaign is charged with six counts of nominating petition fraud.
Kelly A. Taylor, 51, of Old Falls Boulevard, pleaded not guilty before City Judge William G. Lewis Jr. late Friday, court officials said Monday.
The charges, which are misdemeanors carrying maximum one-year jail terms, accuse Taylor of signing witness statements on petitions containing signatures she allegedly did not actually gather herself.
The allegations against Taylor originally were made in August by staffers of Jonathan P. Powers, one of Davis’ rivals in a Democratic primary in the 26th Congressional District. Alice J. Kryzan, who stayed aloof from the Davis-Powers match, won the primary but lost the general election to Republican Chris Lee.
The Powers camp sent affidavits from nine North Tonawanda voters to the Niagara County district attorney’s office, in which eight of the voters swore that they signed Davis petitions presented to them by a man, not a female such as Taylor.
The ninth voter said she was a member of the Independence Party and never signed any Democratic petition, although her name appeared on one witnessed by Taylor.
In all, Taylor signed the witness statements on 31 pages of Davis’ petitions, totaling 306 signatures.
Taylor, who was a salaried campaign worker for Davis, formerly worked as a clerk at the Niagara County Board of Elections.
She declined to comment on the case Monday except to say she has not yet hired a lawyer. Lewis has directed her to appear back in court with an attorney Jan. 22.
District Attorney Michael J. Violante said an investigator from his staff interviewed the voters who signed the affidavits, and the stories of almost all of them stood up under questioning.
The charges pertain to seven of the eight registered Democrats questioned; one of the counts covers signatures by a married couple. No charges were filed in regard to the Independence Party voter.
Charges such as those against Taylor are far from unprecedented in Niagara County. In the wake of the 2005 election season, five people pleaded guilty to similar charges, although none went to jail.
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