An Ohio Republican lawmaker admitted to forging his dead father’s signature on an absentee ballot, then later voting himself in a move he called “an honest error.”
Edward Snodgrass, a Porter Township trustee, told NBC News that he made “an honest error” while taking care of his father who had Parkinson’s Disease. Snodgrass said he had been signing documents on his father’s behalf for several years due his father breaking his arm. He said his dad had requested the absentee ballot.
“It was there with a pile of other paperwork,” Snodgrass said. “I was sleep-deprived and not thinking clearly. But I’m not going to run away from it.”
“I was simply trying to execute a dying man’s wishes,” he added, saying that it would be wrong to characterize what he did as “just Trump voter fraud.”
Snodgrass was busted after a Delaware County official questioned the signature on his father’s ballot. Investigation revealed that the ballot was mailed to Snodgrass’ dad one day after he died.
Morrow County Assistant Prosecutor David Homer, who is also a special prosecutor for Delaware County told NBC News that that Snodgrass’ case was the first of its kind he ever worked on.
Snodgrass was initially charged with illegal voting, a fourth-degree felony. However, he is expected to plead guilty to a reduced charge of falsification, serve three days in jail and pay a $500 fine, as part of a plea deal. He is expected to be in court on July 9.
