Petition forgery case set for trial Aide faces charge of false swearing

AUGUSTA – Jury selection has been scheduled for June 4 in the state’s case against a Republican aide charged with forging signatures on a nomination petition for a GOP House candidate.

A former staff assistant to Sen. Olympia Snowe and former state Republican Party employee, Scott Anthoine, 32, of Lewiston is working as a legislative aide in the House Republican office. That’s the same position he held last March when he was charged with false swearing in connection with a petition he was circulating for House District 92 GOP candidate Jonilyn Grant of Hallowell.

Assistant Maine Attorney General Leanne Robbin said the Kennebec County Superior Court case constitutes a Class D crime, punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine of not more than $2,000.

“Obviously, we’re prepared to go forward,” Robbin said. “Exclusive of jury selection, I don’t think the trial will go more than a day.”

Anthoine is charged with false swearing in connection with faked signatures on Grant’s petition, a last-minute challenge to House Democratic incumbent Scott Cowger. After receiving a complaint about the petition from Hallowell Democratic Party Chairman Barry S. Timpson, an investigation determined that 28 signatures provided by Grant included one of a woman who died in 1996. In addition, two other people on the list denied they ever signed the papers.

An ensuing investigation by Maine Secretary of State Dan Gwadosky resulted in state allegations that Anthoine falsely stated under oath on the petition that all of the signatures on it were entered in his presence and that he believed each signature was that of the person named. During an administrative hearing in March 2000, Lyn A. Gray and Robert O. Gray of Hallowell testified that they had never signed the candidate’s nomination petition that bore their names. Also, the name of Hallowell resident Julia Barlow was on the petition although the woman died four years earlier. The petition was filed March 15, 2000, the deadline when nomination papers had to be received by state elections officials.

Timpson said the Hallowell town clerk recognized the name of the woman who had died when Anthoine submitted the document to her for her signature. The clerk complained to the Secretary of State’s Office about the false signature. Hearing of possible irregularities, Cowger inspected the document and noticed the Grays’ signatures on the petition. The Grays said they had never signed the document.

Hearing officer Julie L. Flynn determined the petition had been circulated by Anthoine, not Grant. When the petitions were filed, Anthoine stated under oath that the petition signatures were collected in his presence and were valid. On March 31, 2000, Gwadosky ruled Grant’s petition was invalid and forwarded the matter to the Attorney General’s Office.

Anthoine volunteered for an unpaid leave of absence from the House in the wake of the Gwadosky investigation and subsequently took a summer job as a staffer with the Maine State Republican Party. He returned to the House last fall in his former position as a legislative aide and declined comment Monday on the pending trial.

Assistant House GOP floor leader Bill Schneider said Monday he did not expect the brief criminal proceeding to disrupt House Republican activities during what is expected to be the final weeks of the Legislature. He said GOP leaders are in the process of determining whether Anthoine has accumulated enough compensatory time to qualify for paid leave while he is in court. He remained circumspect on his outlook for the proceeding.

“I’m not taking any particular position, but I’m confident justice will be done,” Schneider said.