One-time Democratic City Council Candidate James Halfaday has been indicted for election fraud, the Daily Progress reports. In his candidacy filing he claimed to live in the city when, in fact, he lived in the county. He also claimed to be the co-owner of a local gym, but had nothing to do with it. Halfaday claims to be a 32-year-old, openly gay American Indian from Dumferline, Illinois, but at this point, it’s possible that none of that is true. It’s expected that he’ll plead guilty at his court date in a couple of weeks. Assuming that it’s § 24.2-1016 he’s been charged under, then he’s facing a year in prison or a fine of $2,500.
News and meta-news about Charlottesville, VA, since 2001.
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Erstwhile City Council candidate James Halfaday has been jailed on four counts of election fraud, according to a press release from the Commonwealth Attorney’s office:
The charges allege Mr. Halfaday used a false address when he certified his candidacy for City Council with the General Registrar for the City of Charlottesville.
While the investigation has revealed that Mr. Halfaday is not now nor was he ever an owner of Snap Fitness, Mr. Halfaday has not been charged with an offense related to this false statement at this time. The form filed by Mr. Halfaday did not contain certain language required by the Code of Virginia. As a result, election fraud charges concerning Mr. Halfaday’s statement of economic interest are unlikely.
It’s such an irony that Halfaday apparently so bungled his statement of economic interest that he may have accidentally prevented himself from being charged for lying within it. According to the Progress, the economic interest form failed to have the legally required warning that candidates aren’t allowed to lie.
None of this news is any surprise, of course: questions have been raised about Halfaday’s candidacy since shortly after he came in last place in the race for the Democratic nomination for City Council in August.
5:45pm Update: Lisa Provence has detailed coverage in The Hook. Halfaday was released from jail this afternoon, and is due in court tomorrow.
Sideblog
Police announced this afternoon that their investigation into what was initially believed to be a fatal fire on Rugby Avenue is now a homicide investigation. #
The Virginia Supreme Court has denied George Huguely’s appeal. His second-degree murder conviction will stand, WRIC reports. #
In a carefully worded story, and not citing specific sources, WTVR reports that forensic evidence belonging to Jesse Matthew Jr., the main suspect in the disappearance of Hannah Graham, matches forensic evidence collected during the investigation of Morgan Harrington’s 2009 murder. #
In the wake of Hannah Graham’s disappearance, and the evidence that came from private security footage, city officials are revisiting the question of installing security cameras on the downtown mall. #
Both Charlottesville Registrar Sheri Iachetta and former Electoral Board member Stephanie Commander have turned themselves in to the police on
foursix and four felony counts of embezzlement, respectively. #Ten years ago, the National Institutes of Health budget doubled and schools like the University of Virginia built massive new research facilities. A decade later, those buildings remain largely underutilized. NPR visits UVA in this story on the effect of federal binge and spurge spending in the sciences. #
In 2012, Council approved a new student housing complex on West Main—now some council members are questioning whether what they were shown matches what was built. #
The Architectural Review Board has approved a bike-themed mural on West Market, below the McGuffey Art Center, although at least one member expressed concerns that it might look like the bicyclists were riding away from Charlottesville’s downtown. #
City Police Chief Tim Longo is meeting with city leaders to work on protocols regarding the use of military surplus police weapons in Charlottesville. #
A 100-year-old Colonnades resident received military honors for her service in the WWII Women’s Army Corps #
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