COURTESY PHOTO
One of the nomination papers submitted to the Election Office by candidate Eliud Alcala that is the subject of an inquiry.
By THOMAS GRILLO
LYNN — The campaign manager for a candidate seeking to oust City Councilor Richard Colucci is charging the incumbent’s camp with racism.
Paul Coombs, who is behind Eliud Alcala’s bid to unseat the longtime Ward 4 councilor, made the charge Friday against Robert Tucker, a Colucci supporter.
The allegation comes as the Alcala campaign is being investigated by the city’s Election Commission. Tucker alleges the 41-year-old challenger or someone in the campaign may have forged signatures on his nomination papers.
“Racism is clearly an underlying issue,” Coombs told The Item. “This is about suppressing voters and candidates of color.”
But Tucker dismissed the allegation.
“This is not about race,” he said. “That’s completely ridiculous. This is about fraud and an attempt to deceive voters by whoever got the signatures for the Alcala campaign. They want to talk about anything but what they did.”
Of the 180 signatures filed by Alcala last month, 61 were rejected by the city’s Election Office because there was no such person at the address listed, the signatures or addresses were illegible, the signer did not live in the ward, or the person signed papers more than once. That leaves him with 119 signatures. Ward council candidates need 100 signatures to be on the ballot.
Coombs argues such errors are routine in gathering nominations signatures and do not indicate fraud.
“We are confident the Commission will see through these awful tactics and Eliud will be vindicated,” he said.
But Tucker has asked the five-member panel to compare the remaining signatures on the nomination papers with the signed voter registration cards on file at City Hall.
One week ago, the Commission, including City Clerk Janet Rowe who acts as chairwoman, Michele Desmarais, Susan McGinnis-Lang, Joseph Twomey, and City Solicitor Michael Barry, held a public hearing to hear the allegations. A second hearing is scheduled for today.
Last week, the commission said they would refer the case to the Essex County District Attorney’s Office. But a DA spokeswoman said they have not received the complaint.
A law enforcement source told The Item such cases are rare and fraud is very hard to prosecute.
Thomas Grillo can be reached at [email protected].