US State Accidentally Sends Out Checks Signed by Mickey Mouse and Walt Disney

Rhode Island mistakenly released tax refund checks with the signatures of iconic cartoon character Mickey Mouse and Disney founder Walt Disney. The state’s Department of Revenue sent out 176 erroneous checks in July with “Mickey Mouse” and “Walt Disney” replacing the names of General Treasurer Seth Magaziner and State Controller Peter Keenan on the signature line. Jade Borgeson [BAWR-gih-suhn], the department’s chief of staff, explained that the mistake was caused by a technical error in the automated refund check printing system. Regular print tests are usually conducted with dummy checks, which use the signatures of Mickey Mouse and Walt Disney. However, these signatures were mistakenly placed onto the actual checks. To correct the error, the misprinted checks were voided, and new ones were sent out one week later. Borgeson said that they had already reached out to the people affected by the issue and apologized for any inconvenience caused by the oversight. This is not the only recent incident that involved Mickey Mouse’s false signature. Last August, American rapper and aspiring presidential candidate Kanye West was under fire after his petition for a presidential bid contained invalid signatures. At least 2,000 signatures were needed to qualify for the bid, and West was able to submit 2,400. However, some of the signatures turned out to be fake and included those of the iconic Disney character and Senator Bernie Sanders.