by Ellin Walsh
Reporter
Cuyahoga Falls -- A city employee has admitted he failed to witness all the signatures on elections petitions he circulated, although he signed statements indicating he had.
On Aug. 14, Matthew J. Schaad entered a guilty plea to five counts of attempted elections fraud in Akron Municipal Court, all first-degree misdemeanors. Brad Gessner, chief assistant prosecutor for the criminal division of the Summit County Prosecutor's office, said Schaad was sentenced to 60 days in jail, which were suspended; a $500 fine; and court costs. Schaad was sentenced by Judge Kathryn Michael.
Neither Schaad, nor his attorney, could be reached by press time.
Since October, county officials have been investigating whether Schaad witnessed all the signatures on nominating petitions he circulated for the November 2007 election. Schaad had been accused of not witnessing all the signatures on five petitions he circulated for independent candidates for the Cuyahoga Falls Municipal Clerk of Courts: Carol A. Gostlin, Kimberly A. Steinwedel, Anne-Marie Bretzin, Kristi Marie Sykora and Ruth Ann Mundy.
Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner ruled Oct. 5, 2007 that the five were among seven candidate hopefuls for the clerk's race who missed the filing deadline and whose names would not appear on the ballot.
The person who circulates such petitions must sign a statement attesting to the fact "that I witnessed the affixing of every signature." The nominating petition states, "Whoever commits election falsification is guilty of a felony of the fifth degree."
The allegation was made by Alex Arshinkoff, then chairman of the Summit County Republican Party.
At a hearing last October at the Summit County Board of Elections, Schaad invoked his Fifth Amendment right not to testify. The elections board referred the matter to the Summit County Prosecutor and the Summit County Sheriff.
The guilty plea does not prevent Schaad from circulating petitions in the future, Gessner said.
E-mail: ewalsh@recordpub.com
Phone: 330-686-390