PG County Council Candidate Says He Handed Out Controversial Ballots in Oxon Hill

OXON HILL, Md. - Who was responsible for a controversial, and some say fraudulent, sample ballot being distributed in Prince George’s County? Jerry Mathis says he knows.

Mathis is running for Prince George’s County Council and tells FOX 5 he handed out the ballots in Oxon Hill. Maryland’s Attorney General is investigating complaints that the ballot falsely claims high-ranking Democrats endorsed candidates, including Mathis, when they in fact endorsed their opponents.

Other complaints include:

- The ballot incorrectly states Angela Alsobrooks is running for State’s Attorney and the Clerk of the Circuit Court. She is only running for State’s Attorney.
- The ballot has State Senator C. Anthony Muse’s face on the front cover but says Muse is endorsing his opponent Albert Chatmon instead of himself.
- The ballot says it’s authorized by ’Citizens for Change’ and lists ’Charles Summers’ as Treasurer. Muse and Alsobrooks say neither is registered with the State of Maryland and whoever created the ballot committed a felony because it’s illegal to create a campaign committee without registering it with the state.

FOX 5’s Tisha Thompson asked Mathis about the complaints:

Tisha Thompson: "You were handing them out?"

Jerry Mathis: "Absolutely. My people were handing them out. Other people were handing them out."

Tisha Thompson: ’Were you the one who put this together?"

Jerry Mathis: "I did not put it out. There does exist a Citizens for Change and they are citizens that exercised their constitutional rights, their first amendment rights. I helped them understand the system."

Tisha Thompson: "Is Charles Summers a real person?"

Jerry Mathis: "He is a real, live, smart, very astute citizen who wants to see change."

Tisha Thompson: "Do you know where to find him? How we can find him?"

Jerry Mathis: ’I have been in contact with Charles and I have decided to come out on his behalf at this point because my name and my face was flashed across the paper."

Tisha Thompson: "Angela Alsobrooks' name is listed as State's Attorney and Clerk of Circuit Court, which she is not running for. So this is not giving out accurate information no matter what side you're coming from. Is this not a problem?"

Jerry Mathis: "It was an error by the printer that I never saw. That Charles Summer never saw because we gave, he gave the printer this. The printer was supposed to [Mathis points to a copy of what the ballot will look like in November] go by this. How that happened, we don't know. But it was a printer error. It happens all the time with advertising. But it actually gives her a better shot because her name is in two places. I will say that's printer error but we cannot control that.’

Tisha Thompson: ’OK. Now, you keep saying `we could not control that’ but you said you were not responsible for this ballot. Are you saying Charles Summer is responsible for this ballot?"

Jerry Mathis: "Actually what happened is I consulted with him on it. So when they came to me and said, `This is what we want to do,’ that's when I worked with them. So when I say `we,’ I will not back pedal and say I had some information or some input into this ballot. But only as a consultant who wanted to have a voice for the people.’

Tisha Thompson: "And you say it’s a legitimate ballot?"

Jerry Mathis: "It is absolutely. First of all, they say it’s a bogus ballot. You tell me what a fake ballot is? Will the real ballot please stand up?"

Mathis says no one committed fraud because ’there is no requirement to set up a slate or political action committee for a citizen who wants to put out a ballot. If that citizen has not collected money, they didn’t have to put up an account. The ballot is not fraudulent, it’s not bogus, it’s not a ballot that’s not official.’

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