Scott Taylor is a Republican elected to represent Virginia’s 2n Congressional district in 2016. After his 22-point victory and armed with his military service, Taylor was seen as a rising star. Now, Taylor faces the prospect of a criminal indictment related to election fraud.
Taylor’s 2016 victory came at the expense of Democrat Shaun Brown. Brown is currently facing a retrial on federal fraud charges. Her first trial ended in a hung jury.
Undeterred, Brown launched a petition drive to get her name added to the ballot for the 2018 election. The Taylor campaign,, in an effort to divide the Democratic vote, gathered signatures for Brown’s petition drive.
While Taylor’s campaign acts were sleazy, they didn’t violate the law. The criminal problems began when it was discovered that dozens of the signatures were fraudulent.
Some of the signatures belonged to dead people. Others were from people who no longer lived in the district. Other signatures were those of people who claimed they never signed. In Virginia, forging signatures on election forms is a crime.
Taylor’s responses to the widening scandal keep changing:
- It was a “nothing burger.”
- Then, Taylor was for the petition drive, because it would help his campaign.
- Later, Taylor said he was in Washington while his aides were collecting the signatures.
- Eventually, social media proved Taylor a liar. He tweeted from the district on June 9th and 10th (the dates of the petition drive).
A judge has removed Brown’s name from the ballot because of the fraudulent signatures most likely forged by the Taylor campaign with his knowledge and support.
Five of Taylor’s current or former aides have asserted their Fifth Amendment Rights against self-incrimination.
A prosecutor is continuing to investigate. Taylor could soon be indicted.