Former Cincinnati mayoral candidate indicted on charges of election fraud
A former Cincinnati mayoral candidate, already convicted of fraud in federal court, is once again facing charges − this time for alleged election fraud.
Kelli Prather, 51, is charged in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court with counts including tampering with records, election falsification, false signatures and prohibited acts concerning declarations or petitions.
During Prather's 2021 run for U.S. Senate, she submitted petitions to the Hamilton County Board of Elections to appear on the ballot for that election, the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office said in a release.
Prosecutors say 4,579 of the 5,619 signatures provided were determined to be invalid and of the 192 petition sheets filed with the board of elections, 74 included no valid signatures.
In spot checks of the petitions, election officials found six signatures with addresses linked with abandoned buildings. Prosecutors said that on some of the petitions filed the handwriting appeared to be the same for all 30 signatures.
"It is shocking that a self-proclaimed community leader would engage in such blatant fraud relating to our elections," Hamilton County Prosecutor Melissa Powers said in a statement.
The Enquirer left messages for Prather's lawyer Thursday afternoon.
Prather is currently awaiting sentencing after being convicted in July in federal court of bank fraud, wire fraud, making false statements on a loan application and identity theft. She is facing up to 30 years in prison on those charges.
A federal jury in Cincinnati found her guilty of defrauding two federal programs intended to help small businesses during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
She was ordered to be held at the Butler County Jail while she awaits sentencing. She's been there since July.
Last month, the federal judge overseeing her case ordered that she undergo psychiatric and/or psychological tests. The mental health evaluation had been requested by her attorney, according to court records.
At trial, Prather testified in her own defense and described how she had sought political office, running for U.S. Senate, Cincinnati City Council, Hamilton County Commission and Cincinnati mayor between 2016 and 2021.
She also described herself as a social justice and civil rights activist, as well as the author of a book about her life.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Former US Senate candidate Kelli Prather indicted for election fraud
