Kobach, Schwab pursue signature forgery allegations on No Labels party petitions

TOPEKA — Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach said a second person was arrested for allegedly forging signatures on petitions No Labels Kansas relied on for official political party status in January.

Jamie Johnson, 47, of Dade City, Florida, was found in Nebraska and taken into custody on 18 counts of election forgery and one count of election perjury. She is awaiting extradition from Nebraska to Johnson County District Court.

In February, George Andrews, also of Dade City, Fla., was arrested on 28 counts of election forgery and two counts of election perjury in connection with a scheme to fraudulently deliver the signatures of registered voters on required petitions by Kansas law to certify a political party.

“Kansasans deserve the most secure elections possible,” said Kobach, who served as the state’s elections director before being elected attorney general. “I am determined to pursue electoral fraud to the fullest extent of the law. It doesn't matter how far you travel. We will take you back to Kansas and prosecute you.

Secretary of State Scott Schwab said his office is committed to tracking evidence of potential political crimes. On Monday, Schwab said he is confident county clerks will ensure voting in the 2024 primary and general elections is fair and accurate.

“Kansas has strong laws to ensure the integrity of our elections, and this case demonstrates that the process works,” Schwab said.

Schwab's office, which has no independent prosecutorial authority, reviewed information regarding the No Labels Kansas petition campaign. Evidence of alleged violations was forwarded by the Secretary of State to the Attorney General. Law enforcement agencies from Kansas and Nebraska were involved in the search for the suspects.

In January, the No Labels Party was officially recognized by the Kansas Secretary of State's office after party organizers collected signatures from qualified voters equal to 2 percent of the total votes cast in the gubernatorial general election of November 2022. This gave the minor party the opportunity to place candidates on the November ballot in the 2024 election cycle.

Signatures on party petitions in Kansas must be validated by county election clerks who submit county-by-county nominative survey results to Schwab's office.

Former Missouri Governor Jay Nixon, director of ballot integrity for No Labels, told WIBW television in January that the individuals gathering signatures on the petition said “that was the most “easiest they've ever gotten” due to the enthusiasm generated by the emergence of third-party organizations.

“I’m in communication with them,” Nixon said. “They explain to me that everyone says to them: 'Thank you, why weren't you here before?'

In addition to the state's traditional Republican and Democratic parties, Kansas has three minor parties: Libertarian, No Labels Kansas, and United Kansas.

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