By Patricia Bogumil
Editor
Former Raymond township Supervisor Joseph Pohlhammer has been charged with felony election fraud for allegedly destroying candidate nomination paperwork June 19 at the Town Hall.
At the time, Pohlhammer was facing a recall election. He subsequently lost his seat on the Town Board to challenger Tim Geszvain in a special July 17 recall election.
According to the criminal complaint filed in Racine County Circuit Court:
Town Clerk Linda Terry noticed that two of the four pages of candidacy paperwork submitted June 19 for candidate Robert Slivon had questionable dating.
Page 3 of Slivon’s paperwork contained elector signatures dated June 19, but was signed by Slivon as circulator and dated June 18, one day before the signatures were collected.
Page 4, circulated by Pohlhammer, had a similar dating discrepancy.
Both Slivon and Pohlhammer were asked to come into the Town Hall and sign an “affidavit of nomination paper circulator” stating they had indeed collected the signatures in question.
Slivon did so. But Pohlhammer after the need for the affidavit was explained to him, reportedly hesitated before signing, then picked up Page 3 and tore it up.
He continued to rip the page despite Terry repeatedly asking him to return it to her.
Pohlhammer then walked out of the Town Hall with the ripped pieces of the nomination page.
A few seconds later he returned, setting down a pen and explaining: “I don’t want to be accused of stealing.”
Pohlhammer then walked out and drove away.
Terry then contacted the state Government Accountability Board and was advised to contact the District Attorney’s office. She was told the nomination paper Pohlhammer destroyed had become the property of the Town of Raymond when it was submitted to the Town Clerk’s office.
Pohlhammer, 53, of Franksville, made an initial appearance in Racine County Circuit Court Aug. 14, when probable cause was found that he had committed the crime in question.
He is next scheduled in court Sept. 5 for a preliminary hearing, when a judge is expected to decide if the matter should proceed to trial.
If convicted, Pohlhammer faces a maximum of $10,000 in fines; 3 years, 6 months in jail; or both.
According to the circuit court complaint, the Racine County investigation into the matter continues.
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