State police probe notary fraud allegations

Invalidating petition signatures could keep Emanuel tenant off mayoral ballot

December 03, 2010| By Ray Gibson, Tribune reporter

State police are looking into allegations that nominating petitions for five political candidates, including four Chicago mayoral contenders, were fraudulently notarized, a spokeswoman for Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White said Friday.

Spokeswoman Elizabeth Kaufman said the office requested the investigation into whether someone falsely represented themselves as Maricela Rodriguez and Alex Caplan, who are legitimate notaries.

Records show Rodriguez and Caplan are listed as notarizing some pages of petitions for four mayoral candidates: state Sen. James T. Meeks, former U.S. Sen. Carol Moseley Braun, community activist Patricia Van Pelt Watkins and businessman Rob Halpin, who is renting mayoral candidate Rahm Emanuel’s home.

State police probe notary fraud allegations – Chicago Tribune.