Judge Finds Manipulation in Recall Vote in Arizona

[pampango]

Source: New York Times

At first glance, it had the makings of a spirited election: the leader of Arizona’s crackdown on illegal immigration facing off at the polls with an immigrant from Mexico who believed that the state had gone too far. But the immigrant, Olivia Cortes, a retiree who filed papers in July to challenge the State Senate president, Russell Pearce, disappeared from the political scene last week just as quickly as she had appeared. Ms. Cortes’s candidacy for a legislative district in this working-class community east of Phoenix, it now appears, had been a dirty trick.

Critics of Mr. Pearce’s hard-line approach to illegal immigration collected enough signatures to force him into a recall election in November. But allies of Mr. Pearce, who is one of the state’s most powerful politicians, did not take that humiliation lightly. They recruited Ms. Cortes in what was an effort to split the anti-Pearce vote, particularly among Latinos, a judge later found.

The judge, Edward O. Burke of Superior Court of Maricopa County, declined to remove her from the ballot but did say that the evidence suggested that some of her so-called supporters really supported Mr. Pearce. “The court finds that Pearce supporters recruited Cortes, a political neophyte, to run in the recall election to siphon Hispanic votes from Lewis to advance Pearce’s recall election bid,” the judge said in his ruling.

At a debate on Thursday that was supposed to be Ms. Cortes’s first public appearance in the race, there were only two candidates, Mr. Pearce and Mr. Lewis. They clashed on immigration, with Mr. Pearce arguing that illegal immigrants are a burden on the state and Mr. Lewis pushing for what he called a more humane approach on the issue.


Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/09/us/politics/judge-finds-manipulation-in-recall-vote-in-arizona.html

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If Cortes " opposes “what she believes is Pearce’s harsh legislative treatment and comments about illegal Hispanic immigrants”, I wonder why she agreed to help Pearce.

[Scuba]

1. Since they can't win on policy, they cheat. n/t

[Mr Deltoid]

15. Yes, they know that America rejects their ideology

But they are brainwashed that it is correct so they cram it down Americs's throat by any means they can.

[glowing]

2. Money walks.. and seems to be more powerful to Ms Cortes than her fellow man.

[rasputin1952]

12. They can only win by cheating...

I recall Coulter voted twice in the last election...Little Miss Pristine voted in CT and FL. She should be in jail...:grr:

Don't forget, the R's are trying desperately to change voter registration so certain blocks will not be able to cast a vote...R's suck!

[unblock]

3. i'm not clear on why this was in court. is this illegal?

slimy and unethical, sure.

but illegal? anyone legally qualified can run for office and lie their ass off about their motives, their intentions, their positions, and so on.

it's also not illegal for supporters of one campaign to support another of they think it's a good tactic. e.g., when republicans supported nader in order to siphon off green votes from the democrats.

the only thing i can think of is if she received campaign contributions and didn't properly disclose the source. THAT would be illegal.

:shrug:

[cstanleytech]

5. Wouldnt it also be illegal if the two parties were involved in some form of commucation in an effort

to continue the fraud?

[unblock]

18. freedom of speech, freedom of assembly.

politicians are well known to break campaign promises and to tell calculated lies.
many politicians run for ulterior motives fully expecting to lose.
there's no law against campaigns talking to each other.

[cstanleytech]

21. There are laws regarding fraud though arent there? Also arent there

other campaign laws which regulate some aspects of how you can conduct a campaign and what you can and cannot do?

[former9thward]

7. It is not illegal. That is why he did not remove her from the ballot.

[unblock]

17. i'm not even understanding the basis for a challenge.

someone must have at least alleged something illegal.

[alp227]

4. Fuck Racist Russell and his slimy supporters. They planted Cortes because they KNEW they'd lose.

Good on Judge Burke. America needs more action against election fraud.

[former9thward]

6. He did not remove her from the ballot.

[alp227]

8. either way, candidate-planting IS still subject to legal action, isn't it? n/t

[former9thward]

10. No. That is why she was not removed from the ballot.

If a candidate has the signatures and complies with other ballot regulations legally it matters not where their support or financing comes from.

There is a long tradition of this in American politics. Governor Gray Davis spent about $10 million in the 2002 Republican primary running ads against the Mayor of LA, Richard Riordan, who Davis most feared as an opponent. The ultra conservative Bill Simon won the primary and lost the election to Davis.

[jerseyjack]

9. Didn't that same crap happen in the Wi. recall election?

[SoapBox]

11. NOT even a surprise that the GOPthugs would resort to dirty tricks.

...not surprised at all. And, they always get away with it.

[Downwinder]

13. Russell Pearce's Sham Candidate, Olivia Cortes, Withdraws from LD18 Recall Race

http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/bastard/2011/10/russell_pearces_sham_candidate_5.php

[thelordofhell]

14. She quit the race on Thursday, just hours before the debate

She has no idea where the money came from for the paid petition gatherers that got her on the ballot. She didn't know her campaign slogan until a reporter told her it. She didn't know who made her campaign signs. Now it is too late to reprint ballots without her name on them. One thing is known about her.....she supports Russell Pearce

[buckrogers1965]

16. What patriotic Americans

To pervert the course of an election with sham candidates.

This is against the law, it is called being a traitor against America.

[24601]

19. Not substantially different from voters crossing lines in a primary

to vote for the candidate less likely to win in the general election.

Not illegal - but not necessarily helpful when exposed.

When we lived in the UK, "Literal Democrat" candidates sprung up in races against the "Liberal Democrats" - the middle-spectrum party between Labour and the Conservatives.

So, if we have a candidate named Balack Hassan Obomo to run in 50 states on a new "Real Democratic Party" ticket, how many people - like in Palm Beach - would vote for him?

[lonestarnot]

20. I think Judge Burke is a Mormon. I am surprised.

[TygrBright]

22. I'm shocked! Shocked, I... oh, never mind. n/t