Two charged with falsifying information on nomination papers in 2018 Northampton County general election

Two people have been charged with falsifying information on nomination papers for the Libertarian Party in the 2018 General Election in Northampton County.

The Attorney General’s Office on Thursday charged Jake Towne, 40, of Easton, and Amber Correll, 39, of Nazareth, with multiple offenses after a grand jury determined that while Towne claimed he circulated nomination papers, he did not do so; rather, he paid Correll to circulate the document, but Correll forged the names of people who lived in the community.

According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by Supervisory Special Agent Sean M. McGlinn of the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Bureau of Criminal Investigations:

A grand jury heard testimony indicating that OAG agents interviewed the two female registered voters. One signed the petition, but the other one didn’t.

The grand jury learned that a total of 23 of 25 signatures on a particular page were forged.

Towne had been a Libertarian party candidate for public office in 2010, 2017 and 2018, and was the elected auditor of Lower Nazareth Township in 2017.

Towne had served as the county party’s treasurer and secretary, is currently now the president, and had extensive experience in obtaining ballot access.

However, Towne did not actually circulate all of the nomination papers, which he signed and attested to as the circulator.

Instead, the investigation revealed that Towne advertised on Facebook that he sought circulators for nomination papers for Libertarian candidates and offered a pay for the signatures collected.

While it is not illegal to pay people to circulate nomination papers on behalf of candidates, the person who actually obtains the signatures from qualified electors must sign as the circulator on the particular nomination papers.

Correll said that Towne instructed her not to sign the back of the document, and that she was paid $2 per signature, and she did not tell Towne or anyone else that she forged the names, signatures and personal information.

Correll admitted to McGlinn that she did not have permission from the signers to use their identities in this matter.

Correll is charged with 25 counts each of forgery, identity theft, false signatures and statements in nomination petitions, and tampering with records or identification, along with one count of tampering with public records or information.

Towne is charged with one count each of false signatures and statements in nomination petitions, perjury, tampering with records or identification, unsworn falsification, and tampering with records or information.