INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WOWO): This afternoon, Secretary of State Connie Lawson issued the following statement on Butch Morgan being sentenced for conviction of forging signatures on petitions to place Democratic candidates Barrack Obama and Hilary Clinton on the state primary ballot in 2008.

“I commend the court’s sentencing of former St. Joe County Democratic Chairman Butch Morgan and three other Democratic staffers for vote fraud,” said Secretary of State Connie Lawson. “It is particularly important this conviction includes jail time to send a clear message that election fraud will not be tolerated.  Tampering with elections makes citizens doubt the integrity of the electoral process and our government.”

“As a former county clerk, chair of the Senate elections committee and now Indiana’s chief election officer, I firmly believe that the punishment matches the crimes. Our election integrity and security reforms for the 2013 legislative session that take effect July 1 should give prosecutors an even clearer means to fight these important battles in the future.”