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SALT LAKE CITY — A man accused of forging signatures to get a candidate on the ballot for the Utah Senate has been charged.
Derek Griffith, 30, of Salt Lake City, was charged Monday in 3rd District Court with violation of nomination petition procedures, a class A misdemeanor.
According to charging documents, Salt Lake County Clerk Sheri Swensen's office "identified several signatures" in a nomination packet for a candidate for the Utah Senate "that appeared to be forged."
Court documents do not say which candidate Griffith was attempting collect signatures for.
Investigators spoke to at least four people whose signatures appeared on the petition.
"All four individuals stated that the signatures were forged and denied ever signing the packet," the charges state.
Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill gave kudos to both Swenson's office and his investigators on Wednesday, saying it "shows the system works."
