PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — R.I. Attorney General Peter Neronha's office on Monday announced criminal charges in an ongoing investigation of the signature scandal that rocked Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos's failed congressional campaign last year.

Court records show Christopher Cotham, 45, pleaded not guilty last month to two felony counts of violating nomination papers and two misdemeanor counts of giving false documents to an agent, employee or public officials.

Cotham told police he was hired by Holly McClaren, a Matos campaign contractor, to collect some of the voter signatures needed to qualify Matos for the Democratic primary ballot. He said McClaren offered to pay him $2 per signature through her newly established firm, Harmony Solutions, but he couldn't remember if he was instructed on how to collect them.

"Cotham was questioned where, and how, he obtained the signatures, as some of the people on the form were dead," police wrote. "He ultimately admitted that he looked up people's names and addresses on whitepages.com, wrote them on the nomination papers and signed their names."

Police said Cotham remembered collecting signatures in East Providence, Bristol, Warren, Jamestown and Newport. According to police, he told them the papers seemed "very unimportant" and that there was no accountability for them. He told police he had initially met McClaren during recovery after a struggle with addiction.

"Cotham knew that McClaren had written grants in the past and and reached out to her for assistance," police wrote. "It was during this interaction that McClaren got him involved with the Matos campaign."

Matos's nomination papers came under scrutiny after several people discovered their names and signatures were forged on documents that they said they never signed.

The scandal quickly engulfed the campaign and Matos, who was initially the favorite in the special election, wound up placing fourth as more people came forward saying their names and signatures were forged. (Gabe Amo won the primary and the seat.)

Police materials show investigators interviewed Matos as well as Brexton Isaacs, her campaign manager, and Evan England, one of her top advisers and the notary who signed the nomination papers. (England said he wouldn't have done so if he knew some of the names were forged.)

Matos told police that when she discovered there were fraudulent signatures in so many different communities, "she wondered if her campaign had purposely been sabotaged," according to a report.

Matos told police she met McClaren when the latter worked for Gov. Dan McKee's 2022 campaign and that they were "friendly and had been to several campaigning events together, but they did not have a personal relationship."

In a statement Monday evening, Matos praised investigators.

"It is vital that the people who demeaned Rhode Island’s democratic process are held accountable for their actions," she said. "As I've said from day one, this is a serious crime that was perpetrated against Rhode Islanders' confidence in our state’s free and fair elections, and I am more invested than anyone in a thorough and public investigation."

"I'm glad to learn that the attorney general has taken this important step forward in that process," Matos continued. "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."

According to police, Isaacs said he was the one who reached out to McClaren to hire her for the Matos campaign, having remembered her positively from her work on McKee's campaign, which Isaacs also managed. Isaacs said McClaren "had portrayed herself as a supportive and motivated individual," according to police.

However, police wrote, "Isaacs stated that he was never introduced nor notified of who would be working for McClaren." An invoice shows McClaren expected Matos's campaign to pay her a total of $15,800 for eight weeks of phone-banking and canvassing.

McClaren has not been charged with anything criminally, but police interviewed her and scrutinized why so many fake signatures were appearing on documents she submitted.

McClaren told police she didn't check IDs when collecting signatures.

"I asked McClaren if she was trying to claim that she visited Jamestown one day and collected 17 signatures and all 17 people provided her with a false name and address," police wrote. "McClaren then stated 'it's possible.'"

It's unclear whether the attorney general plans to file any additional charges out of the signature investigation.

"As the investigation is ongoing, there will be no further comment from our office at this time," Timothy Rondeau, a spokesperson for the office, said in an email.

Cotham's next court date is Thursday.