(File Photo of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) According to a release from Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday’s office, Sunday announced charges against an Allegheny County woman for forging nomination paperwork earlier this year for a candidate for the Pine-Richland School Board election. Thirty-six-year-old Kayla Michelle Van Blargan of Wexford was charged yesterday with perjury, four counts of forgery and related offenses. An investigation from the Pennsylvania Attorney General confirmed that Van Blargan forged elector signatures on a nomination petition for candidate Kathleen Rivotti. Van Blargan forged at least four elector signatures, and a candidate that was competing against her filed a lawsuit. Rivotti also dropped out of the race of the Pine-Richland School Board election. The investigation showed that Van Blargan compiled paperwork for nomination, including the ten signatures that were necessary from electors required to get on the ballot. A determaintion was made that at least four elector signatures on the petition were forged. An agent had an interview with each of the electors whose names were on the petition, and they all confirmed they did not sign it. A Statement of Circulator, which is a legal document regarding the petition process, was signed by Van Blargen. Van Blargan is also charged with unsworn falsification to authorities, false signatures and statements in nomination petitions and papers, and nomination petitions, certificates and papers, destruction, fraudulent filing and suppression along with her charges of forgery and perjury.