Hubbard councilwoman pleads guilty to election fraud

Staff report

WARREN

Hubbard Councilwoman Lisha Pompili-Baumiller pleaded guilty Tuesday to a bill of information alleging she made a false statement relating to an election petition she filed this year for re-election to Hubbard City Council.

Her plea to the two minor misdemeanor offenses took place before Judge Andrew Logan in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court. She is free on a $1,000 recognizance bond.

The judge ordered a pre-sentence investigation report to determine her sentencing, which will be at a later date.

Pompili-Baumiller didn’t make any statements during the court appearance and acknowledged to the judge she understood her rights.

Documents in the case say she filed a declaration of candidacy petition Jan. 9 on which she certified she had witnessed the writing of every signature on the petition.

She also presented an affidavit swearing under oath she was present when two men signed their names on her candidacy petition. According to the prosecutor, however, the two men neither saw or spoke to Pompili-Baumiller. Their signatures were provided by their spouses at their homes, but they were not in the same room.

Pompili-Baumiller later admitted she didn’t see either man on the day of the signings. It appeared the women signed for themselves and their spouses.

Atty. Devon Stanley told the judge Pompili-Baumiller takes responsibility for the mistake.

In February, the county elections board unanimously decided to remove Pompili-Baumiller from the ballot for re-election to council based on the invalid signatures.