{"id":1414243,"date":"2022-04-01T07:29:44","date_gmt":"2022-04-01T11:29:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1414243"},"modified":"2022-04-01T07:29:46","modified_gmt":"2022-04-01T11:29:46","slug":"never-trump-candidate-seen-allegedly-illegally-forging-petition-signatures-in-effort-to-run-against-elise-stefanik","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/never-trump-candidate-seen-allegedly-illegally-forging-petition-signatures-in-effort-to-run-against-elise-stefanik\/","title":{"rendered":"Never Trump Candidate Seen Allegedly Illegally Forging Petition Signatures In Effort To Run Against Elise Stefanik"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">32<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fnever-trump-candidate-seen-allegedly-illegally-forging-petition-signatures-in-effort-to-run-against-elise-stefanik%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1414243&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><\/div>\n<p>A never-Trump Republican in New York can be seen allegedly illegally forging petition signatures in a parking lot in his effort to challenge New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, a video obtained exclusively by the Daily Caller shows.<\/p>\n<p>Lonny Koons, who is trying to primary Stefanik in NY21, can be seen in his car in videos that were taken at the Ticonderoga Walmart Parking lot on March 24. The day the two videos were filmed he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/koonsforcongressNY21\/posts\/133929149165386?__cft__%5B0%5D=AZWHXW8hiTy43NiZ-ngNTOsfjQLTHRDTMPYLkCbQrgc2gbwAlsoxNU8UURpDF0rMtdVuMNMBe990CMSoathrGR2bPipuT8vq9dODFELztNPZXQems1QVw2z_AWAfnG56Ttu9nx5vpO35MzsaO6YeYKzW&#038;__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">said<\/a> on social media that he was in Ticonderoga and \u201cobtained a healthy number of petition signatures.\u201d However, the signatures appeared to have been faked and signed by Koons himself.<\/p>\n<p>In the videos, posted on YouTube by an anonymous account called \u201cNorth Country Watch,\u201d Koons can be seen signing a number of signatures and names on a document in the parking lot, on the same day he said he was collecting signatures in Ticonderoga. The petition filing period starts April 4. Republicans need a minimum of 1,250 signatures to appear on the ballot.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">On March 12th, Koons posted a letter on Facebook that he sent to the Working Families Party of New York. In the letter, he states that he is \u201cprimarying Ms. Elise Stefanik for the republican nomination\u201d and goes on to ask why the Working Families Party is representing him as a supporter of former President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The Working Families Party is a far-left socialist political organization that stands for <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WorkingFamilies\/status\/1267078490945437696\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/twitter.com\/WorkingFamilies\/status\/1267078490945437696&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1648836503610000&#038;usg=AOvVaw1HSBFR-954oI-tkLs0dIbH\">Defunding the Police<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WorkingFamilies\/status\/1219723339817766913\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/twitter.com\/WorkingFamilies\/status\/1219723339817766913&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1648836503610000&#038;usg=AOvVaw2wz_DdNEDbqgaB2Z6Z5Ix2\">Green New Deal<\/a>\u00a0and <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NYICAction\/status\/1508858773020065793\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/twitter.com\/NYICAction\/status\/1508858773020065793&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1648836503610000&#038;usg=AOvVaw2xWWNkEmedm5b7BUhg4kip\">Medicare for all<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The organization which Koons founded, Blue Collar Politics, has also been vocal in supporting a \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bluecollarpolitics.net\/koons-for-congress-environment\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">True \u2018Green\u2019 Movement<\/a>\u201c, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bluecollarpolitics.net\/koons-for-congress-healthcare-reform\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Universal Healthcare for All<\/a>\u201c, and \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/permalink.php?story_fbid=106302931804014&#038;id=105953465172294&#038;__tn__=%2CO*F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">police reform.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The Daily Caller spoke to state officials who said they were shocked by the videos and said Koons was committing a felony.<\/p>\n<p>Dutchess County Republican Elections Commissioner Erik Haight told the Caller, \u201cI watched the video several times. Honestly, in disbelief. It\u2019s shockingly brazen. It\u2019s such a violation of the public\u2019s trust to be forging voter\u2019s signatures on an official document that eventually is going to be filed with the government entity, the State Board of Elections. And he\u2019s perpetrating a fraud on the electoral system. Frankly, if this candidate files those petitions, he should be prosecuted to the greatest extent of the law and it is a felony, and every time he affixes someone else\u2019s signature to his petition.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a crime,\u201d said Haight. \u201cAnd frankly, if he does file these fraudulent petitions, he\u2019s playing with fire and people have been imprisoned for that crime,\u201d Haight continued.<\/p>\n<p>Haight also serves as the Chairman of the Republican Commissioners Caucus of the Elections Commissioners Association.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWell, again, having watched that video several times. You know, because I don\u2019t accuse people of crimes lightly. And if I wasn\u2019t certain that he was committing a felony by forging those peoples signatures, I wouldn\u2019t say it. The video speaks for itself. It is shockingly obvious that he\u2019s forging their signatures. To deny it is to deny a fact,\u201d Haight added.<\/p>\n<p><strong>WATCH THE VIDEOS HERE:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n[embedded content]\n[embedded content]\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s safe to expect that these petitions will be reviewed carefully and checked directly with the so-called signers to confirm the validity of their signatures. Lawsuits will be filed to invalidate any petition found to be permeated with fraudulent signatures,\u201d Joseph T. Burns, a former State Board of Elections official and attorney who has represented Republican candidates throughout New York State told the Daily Caller. Burns went on to state, \u201cPetition fraud is an attack on the electoral process and, frankly, New York Republicans will not tolerate it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Rachel Bledi, the Republican Elections Commissioner for Albany, explained some of the potential crimes he may have committed and strongly advised he does not file the fraudulent signatures, saying he faces serious legal trouble.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI say it\u2019s problematic for the candidate if it\u2019s true. I\u2019d say that he\u2019d have two main legal challenges that he would face, right? One is that he will fail to qualify as a candidate for the ballot, potentially, and the second is that he risks being prosecuted under criminal statutes. So you have this intersection between penal code and election law where they come into play,\u201d Bledi told the Daily Caller.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf he forged signatures, then he should strongly consider terminating his campaign for Congress, not moving forward with filing what could potentially be a false instrument. So that he doesn\u2019t have to face legal consequences for doing something like that,\u201d Bledi added.<\/p>\n<p>Stefanik\u2019s campaign slammed Koons\u2019 actions saying he should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and called his actions \u201ca serious crime.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAny candidate filing for federal elected office should be held to the highest standards of election integrity. There is no more egregious act breaking the sacred trust with voters than illegally forging signatures to qualify as a candidate for office. It is an affront to the thousands of local volunteers and hardworking staff who over the years have carried Congresswoman Stefanik\u2019s petitions in the freezing cold, hail, sleet, rain, and snow storms in the North Country to ensure we exceed the signature requirement. It explicitly disenfranchises voters in our district of their constitutional rights,\u201d Stefanik\u2019s campaign told the Daily Caller.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is a serious crime and should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We must stand up for election integrity and security in our country,\u201d her campaign added. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2022\/03\/25\/exclusive-elise-stefanik-gop-midterms-elevate-pac\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">(RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: \u2018Historic Year For Republicans\u2019 \u2014 A Look Inside House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik\u2019s Efforts To Win Back The Majority)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Daily Caller contacted Koons about the videos and the signatures to which he responded by saying, \u201cI have been preparing a press release of my own to announce that I am suspending my campaign due to a lack of funds and that I cannot afford to stay afloat because I have been on disability for 6 plus weeks at half my pay.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI will reevaluate a future run but currently I cannot afford to stay in this race and need to get back to work as am by definition, blue collar. As for Ticonderoga Walmart; I was indeed in my car filling out paperwork; some in regards to my campaign and some in regards to the disability issues I have been dealing with MetLife and the Hartford improperly paying my disability due to rotate cuff \/ bicep surgery. I had received a very good reception in Ticonderoga and had spoken to quite a few local businesses that support the idea of an average American trying to stand up,\u201d Koons added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A never-Trump Republican in New York can be seen allegedly illegally forging petition signatures in a parking lot in his effort to challenge New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, a<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":498,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1414243","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1414243","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/498"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1414243"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1414243\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1414243"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1414243"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1414243"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}