The Montgomery County Board of Elections is forwarding Trotwood resident Larry Ealy's petitions to run for office to Secretary of State Jon Husted.
The Dayton Daily News reportsthat the investigation surrounds the possibility of fraudulent signatures; parts of 10 petitions contained suspicious signatures and many of the signatures that appear on them are made by non registered voters.
Election falsification is considered a fifth-degree felony and could result in jail time.
Ealy’s has not yet been reached for comment.
It’s unclear what impact this will have on his campaign. His candidacy has already been certified, along with Democrat Ed Fitzgerald and his running mate, Sharen Neuhardt of Yellow Springs. Because of the certification, a challenge would need to be filed by 4 p.m. Friday. Candidates for governor must have 1,000 valid signatures on nominating petitions.