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Berkeley mayor charged with felony voter fraud

Berkeley Mayor Theodore Hoskins was charged Thursday with four counts of committing an election offense and one forgery count

BERKELEY, Mo. — The 81-year-old mayor of a St. Louis suburb is accused of submitting fraudulent absentee voter applications in what prosecutors say was an effort to illegally influence the city’s municipal elections.

Berkeley Mayor Theodore Hoskins was charged Thursday with four counts of committing an election offense and one forgery count. The charges were filed by Jackson County prosecutor Jean Peters Baker, who was assigned as special prosecutor.

The alleged crimes occurred in the run-up to the April 2018 municipal election in Berkeley, a city of about 9,000 residents. The mayor’s race was not on the ballot, but four city council positions were.

Prosecutors accuse Hoskins of submitting false absentee voter applications by tricking at least three elderly residents into signing documents they didn't know had anything to do with absentee voting. 

Instead, documents allege he promised them they were signing up for home repair assistance money that never came.

Hoskins didn’t immediately reply to phone messages and an email seeking comment.

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft gave the following statement on Friday:

“Our office was pleased to reach out to federal law enforcement officials to help the St. Louis County Board of Elections move forward with their analysis. Thank you especially to Eric Fey, who was determined to make sure a conclusion was reached in this case. Voter fraud is real, and these charges make that clear. 

"At the federal, state and local levels, officials and their staffs work hard to ensure your elections are secure and free from fraud. There is integrity in Missouri’s system, and election workers are paying attention. We are all in this together – working to maintain that integrity, helping each other improve cybersecurity, and keeping open lines of communication so we can work together to protect this important system through which you elect your government and make your voice heard.”

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