Nebraska AG: Investigators find fraudulent signatures on medical marijuana petitions

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – A Grand Island man is facing a felony charge after fraudulent signatures were found on two ballot initiatives, the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office says.

During a press conference Friday, Attorney General Mike Hilgers and Hall County Attorney Martin Klein announced that fraudulent signatures were found on two medical marijuana petitions.

Officials said the investigation began after Hall County Election Commissioner Tracy Overstreet flagged 17 pages of the Nebraska Medical Cannabis Regulation petition for having potentially fraudulent signatures.  Another 21 pages of the Nebraska Cannabis Patient Protection petition were also suspected of being fraudulent.

The fraudulent signatures were traced back to Michael Egbert of Grand Island, the attorney general’s office said.

He is now charged with false swearing to a circulator’s affidavit on a petition, a Class IV felony.  If convicted, Egbert could face up to two years in prison.

“Nebraskans expect secure elections. As we head into election season, Nebraskans should be confident that the election and law enforcement officials will work together to identify and investigate fraudulent activity,” Hilgers said in a press release.

Both medical marijuana petitions have been certified by the Nebraska Secretary of State’s Office and are expected to appear on the November ballot.  The ballot is set to be finalized on Friday.

“Petition circulators and voters alike should know and understand that this office – and all election offices across Nebraska – take elections and signature verification very seriously,” Overstreet said in the release. “We go through each petition line by line by line, signature by signature – just like we do for signatures on early voting ballot envelopes.”

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