An Allegheny County man has been sentenced to four to eight years in prison for forging signatures on nomination petitions for a U.S. Congressional candidate before the 2022 primary election, Attorney General Dave Sunday announced
Kirk Rice, 66, of Cheswick, was previously found guilty by a jury of fifteen counts of identity theft, one act of theft by deceit, fifteen counts of forgery, two counts of perjury, and other connected charges.
Rice was sentenced to prison on Monday, with an additional 93 months of probation. Sunday also stated that he must pay $1,340 in restitution to the Campaign “Steve Irwin for Congress,” as well as refrain from working for any county election agency or circulating nominating petitions.
Prosecutors believe Rice was paid $1,340 to gather 437 signatures for Democratic candidate Steve Irwin’s nomination. Rice received payment for all 34 pages of signatures he presented.”This defendant’s actions are an affront to every voter who expects honesty and accountability in our elections,” Attorney General Sunday declared. “The defendant repeatedly cheated a system founded on free and fair elections. This statement should serve as a warning that my office will examine any and all forms of election fraud, regardless of the individual or political party.”
However, Irwin’s team discovered that Rice had forged the signatures, including one purportedly signed by US District Court Judge Cathy Bissoon.
According to the AG’s office, dozens of supposed signers claimed to never have signed the petition.
The investigation revealed that Rice acknowledged to not going door-to-door. Instead, he went into Pittsburgh companies and persuaded people to sign the petition without asking if they were Democrats.
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