The Illinois Attorney General’s Office has announced the indictment of a 2022 Republican candidate for a seat on the Sangamon County Board.
44-year old Donald Anderson of Springfield was arraigned yesterday on four counts of perjury and four counts of forgery. Each count is punishable by up to 5 years in prison. Anderson was indicted by a Sangamon County grand jury on May 24 and pleaded not guilty on Thursday in Sangamon County Circuit Court. His next court date is scheduled for July 31.
Anderson was the appointed Republican nominee for District 18 of the Sangamon County Board for the 2022 General Election. According to a State Journal Register report, Anderson withdrew his nomination on August 3, 2022 after his candidacy papers were challenged by 3 objectors on several fronts. The three alleged that Anderson filed papers that included signatures of persons not registered to vote or not registered at the proper address; that some people did not personally sign their own names and that some signers’ addresses were incomplete. Anderson needed nine valid signatures to have been placed on the ballot. The District 18 seat, which covers mostly the northwestern portion of Springfield, was eventually won uncontested by Democrat Sam Cahnman.
According to Raoul, Anderson is accused of delivering both pages of his candidate petitions with forged signatures. According to Raoul, Anderson falsely swore in his circulator’s affidavit that he observed the voters sign the petition in his presence, and that the signatures were genuine.
The Springfield Police Department assisted in investigating this case. Assistant Attorney General Mara Somlo is prosecuting the case for Raoul’s Public Integrity Bureau.