TROY – City detectives are investigating a complaint filed by the Democratic candidate for Rensselaer County district attorney that claims a party committeeman filed a Working Families Party petition with three allegedly fraudulent signatures.

The case was assigned in the detective bureau and the investigation has started, Assistant Police Chief Daniel DeWolf said. Details about the progress of the investigation were not available.

Democratic candidate Mary Pat Donnelly, a former East Greenbush town justice, filed the complaint against Democratic Committeeman Anthony Isopo of Lansingburgh in late July with the city police department.

“I had hired a private investigator who conducted an investigation immediately after I found out about the fraud," Donnelly said Friday.

Donnelly said she followed the recommendation of the investigator that, based on his findings, she should go to the Troy Police Department. She has not yet heard from Troy detectives about their findings.

Donnelly is running to unseat Republican incumbent District Attorney Joel E. Abelove of Rensselaer, who is seeking a second four-year term. Donnelly, an Independence Party member, and Abelove are both on the Sept. 13 Independence Party primary ballot.

Republican County Elections Commissioner Jason Schofield said Friday the county Board of Elections turned over copies of Democratic and Working Families Party petitions to detectives. Schofield said since handing over the petitions, he has not heard anything from investigators.

Schofield said the board has not yet met on the complaint regarding the petitions submitted by Isopo. The petitions had five signatures.

Isopo also submitted a similar nominating petition for Democratic candidate Carole Claren-Weaver, who is running for a seat on the County Legislature. Claren-Weaver, the former Troy Democratic Committee chairwoman, will face County Legislator Kim Ashe-McPherson, C-Troy, in the Working Families Party primary. Ashe-McPherson, a former city councilwoman, was appointed earlier this year to fill the vacancy created by the death of County Legislator Edward Manny, D-Troy.

“It’s not going to change anything,” Schofield said the impact of the three signatures on any party petitions.

County Republicans and Democrats are aware of the identities of voters in the minor parties, many of whom have ties to the two main parties. The Democrats and Republicans usually battle in every primary to secure the additional minor party lines to gain marginal advantage in the November elections.

The issue of fraudulent signatures recalls the 2009 Working Families Party primary, in which scores of voter signatures were forged on absentee ballots for Democratic candidates in Troy.