Second campaign worker tied to Matos signature scandal changes plea

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — One of the people charged in the nomination signature controversy tied to Sabina Matos’ congressional campaign has resolved his criminal case after changing his plea in court.

Christopher Cotham entered a no contest plea to two felony charges related to nomination papers, along with two misdemeanor counts involving false documents submitted to public officials. Court records show he initially pleaded not guilty when the charges were filed in March 2024.

By pleading no contest, Cotham accepted a conviction without formally admitting guilt.

A judge sentenced him to three years of unsupervised probation, and he will avoid jail time as part of the agreement.

Rhode Island law classifies falsifying nomination signatures as a felony offense carrying possible penalties of up to 10 years in prison and fines reaching $5,000.

Investigators previously alleged Cotham used names and addresses gathered online to complete nomination forms during the campaign’s effort to qualify for the ballot in the 2023 special election for Rhode Island’s 1st Congressional District seat. Authorities also said some signatures reviewed during the investigation belonged to people who were dead or voters who later denied signing the paperwork.

The broader investigation also drew attention to former campaign consultant Holly McClaren, who was involved in overseeing signature collection operations connected to the campaign. McClaren entered a no contest plea to the same charges in June 2025 and received a sentence of three years of unsupervised probation.

The controversy became one of the defining issues of the congressional race and led to wider scrutiny of how nomination signatures are gathered and verified in Rhode Island elections.