Formal requests for investigation are now in front of the Platte County Prosecuting Attorney, with copies to three state agencies
Criminal referrals have been made, in writing. Read them below.
On July 26, 2026, a Platte County resident submitted a formal, written request for a criminal investigation into exploitation of elderly and vulnerable persons, forgery and false signatures, and election fraud through false affidavits (§§ 565.184, 570.090, 115.631 RSMo). Her letter is reproduced in full below.
Re: Alleged exploitation of elderly residents in ballot-petition signature gathering — request for criminal investigation
Dear Mr. Zahnd:
I am a Platte County resident writing to formally request a criminal investigation into how petition signatures were taken from elderly residents of this county’s senior-care facilities — including potentially residents in memory care programs. The petition filings are public records; I have reviewed the pages I cite, and every record fact below can be verified by pulling the same filings from the Board of Elections. What those pages suggest is not ordinary canvassing, but rather the systematic harvesting of signatures from some of the most vulnerable people in Platte County, carried out by the people best positioned to exploit their trust.
What the filings show. It is estimated that hundreds of the signatures used to place four independent candidates on the November ballot were collected inside senior-living facilities, many in single-day sweeps, with the same elderly residents signing all four candidates’ petitions in one sitting. These facilities include Riverstone Retirement Community (9000 N Congress Ave), Senior Star at Wexford Place (6500 N Cosby Ave), and Sage Grove at Tiffany Springs, formerly Benton House of Tiffany Springs (5901 NW 88th St) — the last of which offers a specialized memory-care facility for residents with Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Who collected them. The sworn, notarized circulator’s affidavits on the majority of these facility pages are signed by Melissa Moran — who operates a business in the senior-care field and is the campaign manager for candidate Dale Brouk. Her professional standing rests on being trusted with the care of the elderly, and it appears her position is precisely what put her at the bedsides and dining tables of senior residents with four clipboards. By her own affidavits she personally collected signatures at locations such as Sage Grove (e.g., Brouk filing p. 86, four consecutive residents of 5901 NW 88th St, June 19, 2026) and Riverstone (e.g., Brouk filing p. 69, thirteen of fifteen signers at 9000 N Congress Ave, all on June 17, 2026). On its face, this looks to be an abuse of the trust placed in those who work with the elderly.
Why these signatures deserve criminal scrutiny. In the pages I have reviewed, for example on the Riverstone page referenced above, no resident’s apartment or unit number appears in the address column, though it is likely residents live in numbered units and the form provides the space. If each resident was actively engaged and providing their own information, it is reasonable to expect they would include their apartment number and that some residents would fill out their own addresses. What is there instead are many rows with one address, apparently filled in by one hand, which could be easily handed to residents for signature without sufficient explanation.
A resident’s account. An account has been relayed to me that I ask your office to test directly: a gentleman named Vernon reported to his family that he was approached by Ms. Moran at one of these facilities and told he needed to sign, without being told what it was. People who know Vernon’s family have confirmed this account. A “Vernon F. Harms” of 9000 N Congress Ave appears at line 6 of the Riverstone sheet referenced above, as well as the other three petition filings — Brouk p. 69, Cayer p. 69, Kendall p. 68, Robinson p. 68 — each dated June 17, 2026, each on a sheet sworn by Ms. Moran. If that account is accurate, a resident was induced to sign four legal instruments without being told what they were, by the person who swore under oath that he had done so knowingly and in her presence. Your office can find Mr. Harms and his family at that address and ask them.
The allegations. On the basis of these public records, I allege in good faith — and ask your office to investigate — the following: (1) Exploitation and abuse of elderly and vulnerable persons — that signatures were solicited and taken from residents of memory-care and senior facilities who could not, or did not, understand what they were signing, by persons who gained access through positions of trust in the senior-care field; (2) Forgery and false signatures — that some facility signatures may not have been personally and voluntarily made by the named residents at all, in violation of § 570.090, RSMo and the felony warning printed on every petition sheet; and (3) Election fraud through false affidavits — that the circulators’ sworn statements that each resident signed knowingly, personally, and in the circulator’s presence were willfully false as to the facility pages, a class one election offense under § 115.631, RSMo, punishable by up to five years’ imprisonment.
What I ask. I request that your office investigate the three allegations above; direct the Board of Election Commissioners to preserve the original petition sheets and all verification records; interview the facility signers or their guardians and families, beginning with any memory-care residents and Mr. Harms; interview facility administrators about how access was obtained and whether solicitation of residents was ever authorized; and refer this matter to the Department of Health and Senior Services and, as appropriate, the Attorney General. I make these allegations in good faith based on the public record and on the account described above. Determining whether crimes occurred is your office’s role — but if what I suspect is true, then these residents cannot ask for that determination themselves, so I am asking for them. If signature harvesting inside locations with memory care programs by a senior-care professional working for a candidate doesn’t warrant an investigation, it is hard to imagine what would.
Respectfully,
Rachel Kautz
cc: Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Adult Protective Services — P.O. Box 570, Jefferson City, MO 65102 | Missouri Secretary of State, Elections Division — P.O. Box 1767, 600 W. Main St., Jefferson City, MO 65101 | Office of the Missouri Attorney General — P.O. Box 899, 207 W. High St., Jefferson City, MO 65102
All three were copied directly on the Kautz letter above. The Secretary of State is also the commissioning authority for the notaries whose seals appear on the defective affidavits documented on the Evidence page.
One day later — July 27, 2026 — the womens group sent their own letter to Prosecutor Zahnd, signed by all four of the organization’s officers, demanding “an immediate and thorough investigation.”
Dear Prosecutor Zahnd,
On behalf of the Platte County Federated Republican Women, we are calling for an immediate and thorough investigation into serious allegations reported in the Platte County Press article, “Platte County Presser Alleges Petition Signature Shenanigans,” published July 27, 2026.
The report raises deeply concerning claims that petition circulators may have obtained signatures from senior citizens without ensuring they fully understood what they were signing. If true, this conduct may constitute fraud, deceptive practices, or other violations of Missouri law governing elections and petition integrity.
These allegations strike at the core of public trust. No voter — especially elderly and vulnerable residents — should ever be misled, pressured, or confused into signing legal documents without full and informed consent.
This matter demands immediate attention. We respectfully request that your office:
The integrity of Missouri’s petition process depends on one non-negotiable standard: every signature must be obtained lawfully, transparently, and with full understanding by the signer. Anything less undermines public confidence in our elections and democratic process.
We expect this matter to be treated with urgency and seriousness. The citizens of Platte County deserve accountability and confidence that the law is being enforced without hesitation or exception.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this critical issue. We look forward to your response and to decisive action.
Respectfully,
Platte County Federated Republican Women
Nancy Felix, President · Kim Sincox, 2nd Vice President · Julie Royer, Secretary · Karen Novak, Treasurer
Everything on this page described as a record fact appears on the face of documents filed with the Platte County Board of Election Commissioners, or on correspondence actually sent to the officials named. The allegations quoted above are exactly that — allegations referred to law enforcement and state agencies for investigation. No charges have been filed and no agency has announced findings.