Former Arizona state legislator Austin Smith pleaded guilty to charges related to forging over 100 signatures on his reelection petitions. Smith admitted to signing a deceased person’s name and attempting to deceive the Secretary of State’s Office by filing petitions with forged signatures. The plea agreement allows Smith to potentially avoid a felony conviction, but he will face probation, a fine, and a five-year ban from public office, pending the sentencing judge’s decision. Despite initially denying the accusations, Smith resigned from his position at Turning Point Action around the time of the allegations, but may have been rehired.
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Elizabeth Ann Davis was convicted of voter fraud in Colorado for submitting ballots on behalf of her deceased ex-husband and son during the 2022 general election. She was found guilty of two counts of forgery and one count of impersonating an elector. This case highlights the rarity of voter fraud, with the election process in place meant to detect these types of crimes. Davis, who has previous forgery convictions, faces potential penalties ranging from probation to up to three years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for January 9th.
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President Trump has denied the authenticity of his signature on a birthday greeting to Jeffrey Epstein from 2003, but this denial raises questions about the implausibility of a long-ago forgery. The author argues that the simplest explanation is likely the correct one, highlighting the principle of parsimony. Another writer suggests that Trump’s lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal offers an opportunity to determine the truth through testimony and handwriting analysis. The ultimate question at hand is whether Trump signed the card.
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In Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, attorney Michael Brandon Cohen pleaded guilty to two counts of forging the signature of a United States district judge. Cohen, a licensed attorney, fabricated court orders in a civil case, falsely claiming they were issued by Chief Judge Matthew W. Brann. These fraudulent orders, sent to Cohen’s client, ruled in the client’s favor. Cohen admitted to forging the judge’s signature, and his sentencing is scheduled for November 18, 2025, with a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a $500,000 fine.
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John Q. Hosedrinker