Voter Fraud Report

Thomas Rudd, a former coroner in Lake County, Illinois, was charged with five felony counts of perjury for making false statements on nominating petitions for his 2016 re-election. Rudd signed the petitions, falsely indicating he had been personally present when voters signed them, and later made the same claim under oath. Prosecutors alleged that 15-20 petition signatures were falsified, including one in the name of a person who had been dead for over 10 years. The felony charges were dismissed as part of a plea deal, and Rudd pleaded guilty to five misdemeanor charges of disregard of the election code. He was given 24 months of probation, ordered to pay two $5,000 fines, and was barred from public employment for five years.