Wisconsin GOP allegedly forged signatures on recall petitions

Forged signatures of dead people have been discovered on Republican Party of Wisconsin recall petitions against Democratic senators, but Republicans are blaming their opponents for the forgeries.

The Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel reported that Bill Pocan's signature was listed on the recall petition against Democratic state Sen. Bob Wirch. He was the father of state Rep. Mark Pocan and died nearly two decades ago.

Wirch is one of the fourteen Democratic state senators who fled Wisconsin in hopes of blocking legislation to limit public employees collective bargaining rights.

Dan Hunt, the chairman of the Wirch recall committee, blamed Democrats for the signature, saying it was intentionally forged to discredit the recall effort.

Executive Director of the State Senate Democratic Committee Kory Kozloski dismissed Hunt's claim, adding that Republicans had been caught red-handed.

"The Republican forgery of dead names on recall petitions represents a new low for Wisconsin," Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Mike Tate said. "It is voter fraud at its most abhorrent and it must be investigated and explained. In coming days we doubtless will learn more of the Republican plot to use the signatures of dead names, but we said at the outset that their recall efforts were dangerously unethical and dangerously fraudulent. Here now is the fruit of that poisoned tree."

In April, Republicans were accused of .

Hunt said he has already collected "way more than enough" signatures to force a recall election for Wirch.