Cecil County Elections Official Pleads Guilty To Misconduct In Office

3 years ago 462

ELKTON, Md. (WJZ) — A Cecil County elections authoritative connected Thursday pleaded blameworthy to misconduct successful bureau aft failing to get a fiscal disclosure signifier from County Executive Danielle Hornberger successful clip and aboriginal altering the paperwork Hornberger submitted, Maryland State Prosecutor Charlton Howard announced connected Friday.

Lora Walters, who served arsenic lawman manager of the Cecil County Board of Elections from 2006 to 2020, was sentenced to 3 years of supervised probation earlier judgement arsenic portion of a plea deal, Howard’s bureau said.

According to a connection of facts from the plea, Hornberger came to the predetermination bureau successful November 2019 to record her candidacy, astatine which clip she should person turned successful a fiscal disclosure form. Although nary specified signifier was filed, Walters certified it was and Hornberger’s candidacy was approved by the Maryland State Board of Elections.

In July 2020, questions arose astir Hornberger’s fiscal disclosure and hard copies were not connected record with the elections board, the Cecil County Department of Human Resources oregon the County Ethics Commission.

After being questioned by her boss, Director Ruie Marie Lavoie, Walters told Hornberger her signifier could not beryllium recovered and sent her the paperwork to capable out. Once she received a copy, Walters backdated the signifier to marque it look arsenic though it had been filled retired successful November 2019, prosecutors said.

The signifier besides had the incorrect information, arsenic it should person accounted for financials from 2018 but alternatively listed records for Jan. 1, 2019 to Dec. 31, 2019.

Hornberger aboriginal testified that she filled retired the signifier aft being notified successful July 2020 that it could not beryllium located and did not backdate it herself.

A Republican, Hornberger easily won the superior predetermination against 3 different candidates, including incumbent Alan McCarthy. She past cruised to victory implicit Democrat Jeff Kase successful the 2020 wide election.

Walters was charged successful June with misconduct successful office, perjury, mendacious introduction successful a nationalist record, altering a nationalist grounds and committing corrupt acts arsenic an predetermination official.

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“Transparency and fairness are indispensable elements to the integrity of our elections,” Howard said successful a connection announcing the plea deal. “Our bureau volition proceed to question to clasp accountable nationalist officials who undermine the transparency and fairness of the electoral process by abusing their presumption of trust.”