The campaign worker alleged to have submitted forged signatures on behalf of Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos during the latter's ill-fated run for Congress last year's special election has been formally accused.

Friday, May 31, Attorney General Peter F. Neronha and Rhode Island State Police Colonel Darnell S. Weaver announced Holly McLaren, of Providence, has been charged in Providence County Superior Court with knowingly falsifying and submitting nomination papers, stemming from an investigation into allegations of fraudulent nomination signatures.

Two days earlier, on May 29,, the Statewide Grand Jury returned a secret indictment charging McLaren, 52, with two counts of falsely certifying nomination papers and two counts of filing false documents with a public official. The indictment was sealed, and a warrant was issued for the defendant.

On May 31, the defendant voluntarily appeared in Providence County Superior Court, where the Court unsealed the secret indictment and she was arraigned. The defendant is scheduled for a pre-trial conference on August 8.

Law enforcement officials allege on days and dates between July 11, 2023, and July 13, 2023, the defendant knowingly falsified nomination papers, and caused those nomination papers to be submitted to the Jamestown and Newport Boards of Canvassers on behalf of then-candidate Matos during the 2023 First Congressional District Special Election.

Alleged inappropriate activities also took place locally, including East Providence where all five sitting City Councilors — Bob Rodericks, Frank Rego, Rick Lawson, Frank Fogarty and Anna Sousa as well as Ryan Queenan, a member of the East Providence School Committee — had their names and signatures included on campaign paperwork she supposedly submitted.

Around the 2023 timeframe referred to in the charges announced last week, the city's canvassing office rejected a complete sheet of signatures submitted by the Matos campaign a total of 28 names alleged to be of East Providence residents were dismissed, City Canvassing Administrator Leslie Shattuck-Moore said at the time.

East Providence was added to a list of local canvassing departments who supposedly found fraudulent signatures, beginning with Jamestown. Media outlets then reported two others, Newport and Barrington, had also received complaints from residents.

Matos issued the following statement after the May 31 announcement by the AG's office and State Police, "I am glad to learn that the investigation is progressing, and that those involved are being held accountable. This is a serious crime that was perpetrated against our state’s free and fair elections, and I look forward to this case being settled and resolved. I will continue to support our justice system in any way I can to ensure the truth comes to light, as well as supporting reforms to the reporting structure to protect our democratic process."