Anthony A. Williams, Democratic Candidate for
Mayor in the 
September 10, 2002, Primary Election
Complaint Against Campaign Petitions by DCWatch
July 15, 2002

DC Watch Home

Council Period 12

Council Period 13

Council Period 14

Council Period 15

Election 1998

Election 2000

Election 2002

themail

Search DCWatch

On July 15, DCWatch submitted to the Board of Elections and Ethics both a complaint against Mayor Anthony A. Williams’s nominating petitions, alleging widespread forgeries and fraud and asking for a criminal investigation, and a challenge to Mayor Williams’s petitions, alleging that they did not contain enough valid signatures to qualify him for the Democratic primary ballot. For purposes of the Board’s consideration, DCWatch’s challenge was joined to a separate and independent analysis of Mayor Williams’s petitions that was done by Shaun Snyder and Mark Sibley, who had done the research supporting the complaint made by the DC Republican Party. 

July 15, 2002

Mr. Benjamin Wilson, Chairman
DC Board of Elections and Ethics
441 4th Street, NW, Room 250-N
Washington, DC 20001

Dear Mr. Wilson:

This letter is a formal complaint against the Committee to Reelect Anthony Williams for multiple violations of the election law. The Committee submitted petitions in support of Mr. Williams's candidacy that were forged and otherwise fraudulent. The size and scope of violations by the Williams campaign indicate that the violations of law were neither inadvertent nor isolated, but were instead the result of a conspiracy that was organized, systemic, and pervasive.

DCWatch alleges that the Williams campaign violated the District's election laws and regulations. It committed the following varieties of forgery and other election fraud, among others:

1. It submitted hundreds of petition sheets that were simple forgeries, with all signatures in one handwriting.
2. It submitted dozens of petition sheets that were more traditional "kitchen table" forgeries, in which several people took turns forging signatures on a single petition.
3. It submitted many petitions on which the signatures of circulators were forged.
4. It submitted several petitions that were partial forgeries. Some petitions were legitimately compiled by circulators who signed the affidavits. The campaign committee took those petitions that were incomplete, and either forged additional signatures in those blank lines or gave them to other circulators to add other signatures.
5. It hired out-of-state individuals who were not qualified DC electors to circulate petitions. It then had those petitions signed by registered DC voters who had not circulated them.
6. It used DC government workers and equipment to circulate petitions and to further the petitioning process.

DCWatch is requesting the Board of Elections and Ethics to investigate these violations of the election law of the District of Columbia and to refer any illegal activities that it finds to the Office of the US Attorney for further investigation and prosecution.

Sincerely,

Dorothy Brizill
Executive Director

Back to top of page

DCWatch Calls for Mayor Williams to Withdraw from Democratic Primary Race

Today, DCWatch, a nonprofit good government organization, called on Mayor Anthony A. Williams to withdraw from the Democratic primary race. DCWatch filed a challenge with the DC Board of Elections and Ethics against the Mayor's qualifying petitions. DCWatch's analysis of the Mayor's petitions shows that he has failed to file the two thousand valid signatures of DC voters that are necessary to place him on the Democratic ballot on September 10, 2002.

DCWatch also filed a complaint with the Board of Elections alleging that the Williams campaign engaged in massive election fraud by engaging in an organized, systemic plan to file thousands of forged signatures. DCWatch called for a criminal investigation, and asked the Board of Elections to refer all illegal activities by the Williams campaign to the US Attorney for prosecution.

"Mayor Williams does not have enough valid signatures to qualify him to be placed on the Democratic ballot," said DCWatch Executive Director Dorothy Brizill. "If he defends this fraud and supports these forgeries, and engages in a prolonged fight before the Board of Elections, it will be an embarrassment to him and to the city of Washington. His best course is to admit the wrongdoing of his campaign, and to withdraw his request to be placed on the Democratic ballot"

If Mayor Williams does not contest the petition challenge, he can either run as a write-in candidate in the Democratic primary on September 10, or he can circulate petitions to run as an independent candidate in the general election on November 5, 2002.

Back to top of page

July 15, 2002

Mr. Benjamin Wilson, Chairman
DC Board of Elections and Ethics
441 4th Street, NW, Room 250-N
Washington, DC 20001

Dear Mr. Wilson:

Attached please find a formal challenge, pursuant to DC Municipal Regulations Title 3, Elections and Ethics, Chapter 16, to the petitions filed on July 3, 2002, in support of Anthony "Tony" Williams as a Democratic party candidate for Mayor. Our review indicates that the number of valid signatures on these petition sheets falls below the minimum of 2,000 signatures that is required.

Preceding the individual challenge sheets is a key explaining the abbreviations used in this challenge. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call us.

Sincerely yours,

Dorothy Brizill, Executive Director
Gary Imhoff, Vice President

Back to top of page

Dorothy Brizill, Executive Director, DCWatch
Gary Imhoff, Vice President, DCWatch
Shaun M. Snyder
Mark L. Sibley