Election

Election System Disqualifies McClafferty Over Nomination Signature Complaints; Candidate Says He Will Appeal

Aspiring Delegate to Congress Candidate Matthew McClafferty has notified Election Supervisor Caroline Fawkes that he intends to appeal his disqualification from the ballot, after the Election System of the Virgin Islands rejected his nomination paperwork over complaints involving signatures collected on St. Croix. According to correspondence seen by Consortium journalists, Mr. McClafferty was disqualified after ESVI investigated six complaints received from signers of his nomination papers. Several complainants reportedly gave "materially identical accounts" alleging that their signatures were obtained through “false and misleading representations,” according to ESVI. Ms. Fawkes launched an investigation after receiving the complaints and found several issues with the collection of signatures for Mr. McClafferty on St. Croix. ESVI said “the nomination circulator misrepresented himself as the candidate to induce signatures,” and that “nomination papers were circulated with the candida...