Pastor arrested for allegedly forging signatures for Democratic primary
Context:
A Middletown pastor, Rev. Robert Hoggard, was arrested for allegedly forging signatures to qualify for the Democratic primary for the 33rd House District in 2024. The case emerged after Democratic Registrar Patricia Alston flagged suspicious signatures, with voters stating they did not sign the petitions. Hoggard claimed the Democratic Party was conspiring against him, while he later ran in the general election under the We the People Party and was defeated by incumbent Brandon Chafee by about 7,600 to 700 votes. He was charged with 14 counts of second-degree forgery and 6 counts of perjury and released on a promise to appear. The investigation and charges mark a high-profile dispute over petition-based access to the ballot, with Hoggard awaiting further court action and responses from his representatives.
Dive Deeper:
Rev. Robert Hoggard, 33, of Middletown, Connecticut, was arrested in connection with forging signatures to appear on the Democratic primary ballot for the 33rd House District in 2024.
The alleged forgery came to light after the Democratic Registrar of Voters Patricia Alston flagged the signatures as suspicious during the petition verification process.
Voters interviewed by authorities said they did not sign the primary petition for Hoggard, and the registered signatures were deemed fraudulent by election officials.
Hoggard accused the Democratic Party of conspiring against him, suggesting political tactics aimed at dissuading people from running for office.
In the general election, Hoggard ran under the We the People Party and was defeated by incumbent Democrat Brandon Chafee by a wide margin (approximately 7,600 to 700).
Authorities from the Chief State's Attorney's Office arrested Hoggard on a Thursday and charged him with 14 counts of second-degree forgery and 6 counts of perjury; he was released after promising to appear in court.
Comment requests were directed to Hoggard's attorney, John Kennelly, who did not respond, and New Jerusalem Christian Center did not provide a comment.