Congressional race a war of signatures

Democrat calls for investigation of his opponent’s ballot petitions

A suburban Philadelphia Democrat running for Congress wants the federal government to investigate fraud regarding his Republican rival.

State Representative Bryan Lentz of Delaware County says Republican hopeful Pat Meehan’s nominating petitions are rife with forgeries. He says some signatures appear two or three times.

Lentz: The evidence is clear, the Meehan Campaign and the Republican Party in Delaware County is one and the same and the Meehan Campaign acted with disdain for the law.

Lentz says there is a history of voter fraud and corruption among Delaware County Republicans. He wants the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Unit to investigate.

Meehan’s attorney, James Gardner Colins, called the request a “political circus” and an attempt to get free publicity.

Colins: Pat Meehan’s name will be on that ballot and it will be on that ballot legally and he can discuss these issues all he wants under the first amendment. But he shouldnt be using the courts and the resources of the taxpayers to further what he knows is a legal course that he can’t win.

Meehan turned in about 3600 signatures and needs just 1000 to get on the ballot.