Campaign worker sentenced to probation for signature fraud in 2023 Matos congressional campaign
Nearly three years after forged signatures felled Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos’ congressional campaign, the criminal cases against her campaign workers have concluded following a sentencing hearing in Providence County Superior Court on May 4.
Christopher Cotham, 47, of Massachusetts, was sentenced to three years of unsupervised probation after changing his plea to no contest during a disposition hearing Monday, May 4, court records show. Cotham originally pleaded not guilty during his initial April 2024 arraignment for two felony charges and two misdemeanor charges related to his role in submitting forged signatures on Matos’ 2023 nomination papers.
The change in plea — accepting the conviction without admitting guilt – mirrors the strategy of the other campaign worker charged in the scandal, Holly McClaren. McClaren, whose company Harmony Solutions was hired by Matos to collect signatures for her 2023 campaign for the open 1st Congressional District seat, initially pleaded not guilty to the same charges as Cotham, then amended her plea to no contest in June 2025. McClaren was also sentenced to three years probation.
Philip Vicini, an attorney with the Rhode Island public defender’s office who represented Cotham, declined to comment when reached by email Friday.
https://rhodeislandcurrent.com/briefs/campaign-worker-sentenced-to-probation-for-signature-fraud-in-2023-matos-congressional-campaign/