St. Louis-area mayor charged in election fraud case

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The mayor of a St. Louis suburb was charged Thursday with submitting a handful of fraudulent absentee voter applications in an attempt to influence an April 2018 local election.

Berkeley Mayor Theodore Hoskins faces four counts of committing an election offense and another of forgery.

Prosecutors said Hoskins submitted at least three false absentee voter applications from three elderly residents in the city of 9,000 people. Hoskins' mayorship was not on the ballot, but four council positions were, including that of his wife, Lee Etta Hoskins, who was re-elected with a 87-39 vote

Berkeley Mayor Theodore Hoskins is changed in connection with election fraud during an April 2018 municipal election. (City of Berkeley)

In one case, prosecutors said Hoskins had a couple in their 80s sign absentee voter applications even though they didn't know what the docs were. They both picked the same candidate.

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The couple later said they didn't vote in the election.

Hoskins did not immediately respond to a Fox News request for comment Thursday.

The St. Louis County Board of Elections became suspicious when an employee identified handwriting on the applications as that of the mayor.