Councilman indicted on election fraud
Published: July 8, 2009
Updated: July 8, 2009
Manassas Park City Council member Peter Farrell was indicted this week on a charge of election fraud.
The indictment, handed up by a grand jury in Prince William Circuit Court, charges that Farrell lied about being a resident of Manassas Park.
A grand jury indictment means that prosecutors have enough evidence to take a case to trial. It is not a finding of guilt or innocence.
Election fraud is a class five felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, up to 12 months in jail or a fine of up to $2,500.
“The basis of the charge is that he is not a resident of the city of Manassas Park and he said that he was,” Prince William County Commonwealth’s Attorney Paul Ebert said Wednesday.
Farrell, 51, a Democrat, was elected to the city council in November.
Reached by phone Wednesday, Farrell said he is waiting to receive more information about the charge from prosecutors.
“I am still trying to understand what the indictment is about,” Farrell said.
He said he could not comment further until he had more information.
When asked if he was a resident of Manassas Park, Farrell said, “It’s inappropriate at this time to answer that question.”
Farrell said he currently plans to remain on the city council.
Manassas Park Mayor Frank Jones and other city council members did not immediately return calls seeking comment Wednesday.
Farrell owns a business in Manassas Park, Peter Farrell Supercars Inc., on Manassas Drive.
Staff writer Bennie Scarton can be reached at 703-369-6707. Staff writer Amanda Stewart can be reached at 703-878-8014.
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Reader Reactions
joni:
Having any luck finding your post on unions that I asked you to do? Five will get you 10 that, like ZCx, you won’t address it again. ha ha.
so funny, the democrat’s friends ACORN are under investigation all over the country,(yes the same ACORN that wants to do our 2010 Census) it should come as no surprise that even down at the city level, they will do anything to get elected.
a democrat comiting voter fraud? NO!!!! I thought democrats were supposed to be the poster childs of fairness and honesty, to the point that they fart out rainbows!
Come to think of it, I don’t think it was ever reported either, Brian 1703.
The story seemed to float right on off the radar.
I don’t believe it was ever reported why the charges against Chapman were dropped.
Very interestin. I know the owner of the rented house in MP. Only problem with your story isL he did not stay even one night at the rented house. He didn’t live there. The owner of the house is not who turned him in. He just wasn’t going to lie for him.
He was shady at best.I don’t remember why the charges were dropped. I can’t imagine that party had anything to do with it. Ebert and Chapman’s opponent were not in the same party.
blue_doggette: Steve Chapman had a home in Manassas Park, and he voted in Manassas park. When he filed to run for house of delegates, someone filed a complaint saying he did not actually live in the home in Manassas Park, and Ebert did indict him but after Chapman lost the primary the case was transferred to another district due to a perceived conflict of interest with Ebert (who had a personal relationship with Chapman’s opponent, along with being a democrat). The prosecuter in the other district ended up dropping the case, which would suggest they did not have evidence to back up the charge.
We don’t know what evidence there is in this case—but the Chapman case was about voting, and this case is about legal documents filed in order to run for public office.
Rules never apply to Democrats.
I’m pretty sure this square-jawed putz sells used Fords on the side. He is sporting an extraordinary amount of soul glo, and his teeth closely resemble the pickets of a residential fence along Dale Boulevard. No weasily mustache, you say, so he must be innocent? Poppycock. Look at the shifty-eyedness and lack of a undershirt. GUILTY!
I’m not surprised. He always appeared to be a little slimmy to me.
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