Rockford Sun

State Sen. Dave Syverson (R-Cherry Valley) is calling out his primary opponent Eli Nicolosi (R-Rockford) whose campaign has been accused of forging signatures on candidate petitions.

Syverson also previously denied Nicolosi's accusations that the senator from Cherry Valley is involved in allegations of Nicolosi's alleged personal misconduct, which has impacted his credibility as chairman of the Winnebago County Republican Central Committee.

“If in fact, the Nicolosi campaign, or frankly any campaign, has forged signatures to get on the ballot, that’s illegal, and the state's attorney needs to take action so we send a message that the election process both locally and around the state is clean so people can trust the process,” Syverson said.

After signature inconsistencies were discovered, the state's attorney opened a senior fraud investigation into the Nicolosi campaign for state senate team. When comparing the signatures on the Nicolosi campaign petitions to those on the Syverson campaign petitions, the Senate Republican Integrity Team, which was in charge of assessing the petitions, raised suspicions of possible fraud. 

"We were recently told of the investigation so currently we are doing everything we can to be of help and not impede the investigation in anyway," Dawn Powell, Cedarhurst Senior Living executive director, told 23 WIFR News.

The several signatures in question on GOP candidate Nicolosi's petition for candidacy came from the Cedarhurst Senior Living Center on Crimson Ridge Road in Rockford. A representative from Syverson's campaign scheduled a visit to the facility to collect signatures for his petition, but no one from Nicolosi's team ever inquired for permission to speak with any of the residents. 

"When someone has been in office for 30 years they will do anything and say anything to get re-elected," Nicolosi responded to the allegations according to 23 WIFR News. "I expected a tough fight, but I did not expect the very personal and vicious nature of his attacks. Those attacks triggered an official condemnation of Sen. Syverson by the Winnebago County Republican Central Committee. The WCRCC members rarely do this, but they were appalled by the personal attacks and dirty campaigning of those involved."

A formal police report has been made against two people connected to the Nicolosi for Senate campaign for suspected forgery and aggravated identity theft against a person 60 years of age or over by the senior assisted living facility and at least three residents.

This is not the first scandal to involve Nicolosi; just last month, local officials sent a letter requesting his resignation as chairman of the Winnebago County Republican Central Committee. The letter came about as a result of Nicolosi's wife obtaining an order of protection against him due to her worries for his safety, harassment, uncertainty about what he was capable of and belief that if anything were to happen to her, it would be due to her husband, 13 WREX News reported.

Syverson, on the other hand, has a solid track record as a state senator and is backed by numerous groups in Illinois.