RECOVERY PROJECTS. WELL, MORE NOW ON THE TWO INITIATIVES REGARDING MEDICAL MARIJUANA THAT WOULD ALSO APPEAR ON THE BALLOT. BEFORE WE LEARNED, THEY MADE THE CUT, THE STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOUND A PROBLEM RELATED TO THE PETITION EFFORT. KETV NEWSWATCH SEVEN'S MARY LEE REPORTS FROM THE NEWSROOM. BILL WAVERLE THIS MORNING NEBRASKA ATTORNEY GENERAL MIKE HILGERS ANNOUNCED CRIMINAL CHARGES IN A PETITION FRAUD CASE RELATED TO THE MEDICAL MARIJUANA INITIATIVE'S. THINGS LIKE NAMES OF DECEASED INDIVIDUALS AND MISSPELLED NAMES, INCORRECT BIRTH DATES. THESE PROBLEMS WERE JUST A FEW OF THE ISSUES FOUND ON THE MEDICAL MARIJUANA PETITIONS. THERE ARE AT LEAST SEVERAL THOUSAND SIGNATURES THAT ARE IMPLICATED. THE NEBRASKA ATTORNEY GENERAL SAYS THE ALLEGEDLY FRAUDULENT SIGNATURES WERE TRACED BACK TO MICHAEL EGBERT OF GRAND ISLAND, WHO WAS ACCUSED OF SIGNING NAMES HE FOUND IN THE PHONE BOOK. HE IS NOW CHARGED WITH FALSE SWEARING TO HIS CIRCULATOR'S AFFIDAVIT, A FELONY HE DID ON OCCASION SIGN THOSE NAMES HIMSELF. THE VOTER DID NOT SIGN THEM, DESPITE THE ALLEGED PETITION FRAUD. HILGERS SAYS THE INITIATIVES LIKELY HAVE ENOUGH AUTHENTIC SIGNATURES TO STAY ON THE BALLOT, BUT IT'S TOO SOON TO BE 100% SURE. THE SECRETARY OF STATE ABSOLUTELY CAN CERTIFY TODAY, GIVEN WHAT WE KNOW TODAY. HOWEVER, THAT, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, THAT'S NOT THE FINAL CHAPTER IN THIS PARTICULAR PROCESS. HILDRETH SAYS THTHE FATE OF THEE INITIATIVES WILL BE FORMALLY FINALIZED WHEN INVESTIGATIONS ARE COMPLETE. WE HAVE REVIEWED A NUMBER OF THE COUNTIES, BUT NOT ALL OF THE COUNTIES WHERE DATA IS STILL COMING IN, JUST EVEN THROUGH THE LATTER HALF OF THIS WEEK. HE SAYS THIS CASE IS A REMINDER OF HOW IMPORTANT ELECTION INTEGRITY IS. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE WHO MIGHT INTERFERE WITH OUR ELECTIONS IN THIS KIND OF A WAY, UNDERSTAND THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT AND ELECTION OFFICIALS ARE ON THE LOOKOUT, AND WE WILL TAKE ACTION. AND WE WOULD HIGHLY DISCOURAGE PEOPLE FROM, FROM EVEN THINKING TWICE. WE SPOKE TO MICHAEL EGBERT'S ATTORNEY ABOUT THE CHARGES, AND HE HAS NO COMMENT ON THE SITUATION, ONLY THAT HE IS LEAVING THE MATTER TO THE JUDICIAL PROCESS.