State Cegavske Announce Grand Jury Indictment

Attorney General Laxalt and Secretary of State Cegavske Announce Grand Jury Indictment for Fraudulent Voter Petition Scheme

Nevada Attorney General Adam Paul Laxalt announced that Patrick Duffy, 48, of Las Vegas, was indicted by a Clark County Grand Jury on 13 felony charges. The charges include five counts of Misconduct in Signing, Filing or Altering Petition, a category “D” felony; five counts of Obtaining and Using Personal Identifying Information of Another, a category “B” felony; and three counts of Perjury, a category “D” felony. Duffy falsified the signatures of individuals on petitions to qualify the Nevada Green Party for general election ballot access in 2016, and then submitted the falsified petitions for filing. While submitting the petitions, Duffy allegedly swore under penalty of perjury that the signatures were legitimate.

“The election process is the backbone of our democratic system,” said Attorney General Adam Laxalt. “And my office will continue to partner with the Secretary of State’s Office in order to protect the integrity of this process.”

“Ensuring the integrity of the petition process is a very important responsibility of this office,” added Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske. “Those individuals and entities that participate in the gathering of voter’s signatures on petitions must be diligent in their adherence to the law. Falsifying a signature on a petition is a category “D” felony.”

Based on the Grand Jury’s findings, a summons was issued for Duffy to appear before the court on March 28^th in Clark County District Court Department 23. An indictment is merely a charging document; every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.

This case was investigated by the Nevada Secretary of State’s Office after being referred by the Clark County Elections Department. The case was prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Daniel Westmeyer.

For questions regarding compliance with a petition process, please contact the Election Division of the Nevada Secretary of State’s Office at (775) 684-5705. To file a complaint about someone suspected of committing a fraud with the Office of the Nevada Attorney General, click here.