Journal & Topics Media Group

Voice Of Niles Party Claims Election Fraud

Objection, Sworn Affidavit: ‘I Did Not Circulate'

Voice of Niles village trustee candidates (from left) Craig Niedermaier, Dean Strzelecki and Denise McCreery filed petitions last month to appear on the Tuesday, April 2 Municipal Ballot (Tom Robb/Journal photo)

A Chicago man, reportedly listed as circulating petitions for the Neighbors Party running for Niles village trustee seats, is claiming election fraud saying his name was forged. Members of the opposing Voice of Niles Party also claim potential fraud.

“The circulator’s affidavit on these petitions falsely claims that I was the circulator and I did not circulate any petition sheets for the Neighbors Party or sign any circulator’s affidavit for the Neighbors Party nomination petitions,” Chicago resident Daniel Mulkerin said in his written affidavit, included with an objection to Neighbors Party slate petitions filed by Ralph Albanito of Niles, Monday, Dec. 24, with the village clerk.

Petition objections for village trustee candidates come before the Niles Electoral Board. That board is made up of Mayor Andrew Przybylo, Village Clerk Marlene Victorine and Joe LoVerde, the most senior village trustee. A meeting of the electoral board had not been scheduled as of press deadlines, Wednesday, Jan. 2.

The Neighbors Party of village trustee candidates includes Paul Drakontaidis, Melic Bookstein and Izzy Pacheco. Mayor Przybylo said he recruited Neighbors Party candidates and is acting as a campaign consultant.

The Neighbors Party faces the Voice of Niles Party slate of incumbent trustees Dean Strzelecki and Denise McCreery and first time candidate Craig Niedermaier in the April 2 election. Voice of Niles candidates have the endorsements of LoVerde and Village Trustee George Alpogianis, the second most senior village trustee.

Mulkerin said his name fraudulently appeared as a circulator of petitions on three pages of nominating petitions for the Neighbors Party slate.

In the complaint, Albanito said the claim by notary Robert Combs, who, according to the objection, notarized Mulkerin’s petition pages, is also “false and demonstrates a pattern if fraud.”

Albanito claims addresses of some individuals signing petitions do not match voter rolls, were not genuine signatures of voters, included voters who live outside the village and included multiple signatures by the same people.

Przybylo said the signature on the affidavit included with the objection appeared to him to be “obscured, but similar to the (circulator’s signature line on) petitions.”

Pacheco said he circulated petitions within his condominium building, but was unaware of other circulators of petitions. He said he was aware of the objection and that attorneys were looking into it. Calls to Drakontaidis and Bookstein were not returned.

“We are very concerned about the integrity of the electoral process and if, in fact, these petitions were circulated by someone other than the person who signed it, then it could constitute fraud,” Strzelecki said in a written statement. “We’re all very surprised by this and hope that there’s a good explanation for this discrepancy. We look forward to learning the full truth as the process plays out.”

“We would have preferred to have the voters make a choice on election day,” McCreery said in a written statement. “But the potentially fraudulent nature of these signatures is too serious an issue to ignore. If true, it strikes at the heart of our democratic process.”

“If I recuse myself, George (Alpogianis) would have to as well,” Przybylo said because of support for Voice of Niles candidates. “If I’m disqualified, so should Joe LoVerde.”

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