Matos campaign workers won't face signature subpoena. What's next in the investigation.

A week after voters decided Rhode Island's 1st Congressional District primary, the state Board of Elections Tuesday decided to put its investigation of former candidate Sabina Matos' nomination signatures to bed without new hearings or testimony on the matter.

Matos signature gatherers won't have to testify under oath about how they canvassed voters and why a handful of apparently bogus signatures were turned in on her nomination papers after the state Board of Elections Tuesday abandoned a plan it approved a month ago to subpoena them.

Instead board members unanimously voted to study ways to clarify and tighten the legislation governing how candidates qualify for the ballot.

The signature controversy derailed Matos' congressional aspirations, dragging down a campaign once seen as the favorite into a disappointing 4th place finish with only 8% of the vote.

What's next for the investigation?

And even with the Board of Elections putting the issue aside, it is not over.

The State Police and attorney general's office are conducting a criminal investigation of Matos signatures.

"The investigation is still ongoing and they have no information to release at this time," Board of Elections Executive Director Robert Rapoza told Board members after asking an assistant attorney general for an update on the criminal probe.

In the end, there was no vote on board member Louis DeSimone's subpoena motion – which had passed 4-2 a month earlier – as no one would second it.

"I would like to continue the investigation. I think it's important," DeSimone said. "I think we need to still review those signatories on the accounts. I think we need to hear from the people who collected the signatures ... I know the election's over, but I don't think the issue is."

The board's new direction appeared to be influenced to at least some degree by the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island objecting to a broad subpoena effort.

"It is unclear to us what the Board hopes to accomplish by requiring all the signature collectors on Lt. Gov. Matos’ campaign to testify under oath about their signature collecting practices," ACLU Executive Director Steven Brown wrote to the Board.

"We have deep concerns about the adverse impact that a Board investigation will have by demanding that all the collectors, including the many about whom there are no allegations of wrongdoing, come and testify under oath about their past conduct," Brown added. "We are also concerned about the long-term consequences of such a hearing, as it could have a chilling impact on the willingness of other individuals to volunteer to be signature collectors in the future."

How the signature controversy began

The investigation into Matos' signatures began when the Jamestown Board of Canvassers flagged several dubious signatures including three that belonged to dead people. As local elections officials around the state scrutinized more nomination papers, other questionable signatures were reported, particularly those turned in by two Matos workers.

Matos blamed a paid campaign operative, who she said had betrayed her trust.

Despite having a higher number of rejected signatures – around 44% – than the other candidates, Matos turned in 726 valid signatures, more than enough to meet the 500 required.

But questions about what had happened remained and the Board of Elections waffled over what to do, first certifying Matos' place on the ballot in July, then inspecting her signatures in August before voting to issue subpoenas and now not issue subpoenas.

"I feel that this board has done its due diligence," board member Michael Connors said. "We reviewed the matter. I would hate to cast this burden on signature collectors that acted in good faith and did nothing wrong. And I trust the matter with the Attorney General's office or the criminal side of it."

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Board of elections: No new hearings, testimony in Matos signature case