Trumbull elections board fires 14-year employee for negligence

WARREN

The Trumbull County Board of Elections today fired 14-year employee Kalliopi Karapetsas for "gross negligence in violation of board policies in performing her duties" after it was discovered she failed to point out multiple instances of duplicated and printed signatures on the petitions of former Warren City Council candidate Marco Flaminio.

The duplicated and printed signatures on Flaminio's petitions later caused Flaminio's name to be removed from the ballot for Warren's 3rd Ward council position.

Some of the signatures later determined to be invalid were from members of Karapetsas' immediate family, said Stephenie Penrose, elections board director.

When questions about Flaminio's candidacy were raised by another candidate for the same council position, the elections board discovered the duplicates and printed signatures, and Karapetsas was placed on leave.

Mark Alberini, elections board chairman, said he does not know whether the mistakes were "willful or intentional."