Get This!!!!! Letter from Ohio elections officer seeks illegal ...

[princehal]

http://www.salon.com/news/wire/2005/01/08/ohio/index.html

an. 8, 2005 | COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- The state's chief elections officer, accused of mishandling the presidential vote in Ohio, sent a fund-raising letter for his own 2006 gubernatorial campaign that was accompanied by a request for illegal contributions.

A pledge card with the letter from Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell, a Republican who co-chaired the Bush-Cheney election campaign in Ohio, said "corporate & personal checks are welcome."

...snip...

[happyjack27]

1. yahoo news voting

Yahoo news, how did this get 206 votes an only 1.03? I think repubs have an effort to vote on these.

Please vote 5 for it, 1 for the story above and below it.

<http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=index&cid=696>

[helderheid]

5. done!!

[mikelewis]

7. Done - Its current average rating is 2.35 with 248 vote(s).

[intheflow]

13. Done. 2.52 with 265 votes.

:kick:

[SaveAmerica]

14. Done....that last line cracks me up

"I have an obligation to follow the law," Blackwell said.

[mikelewis]

2. The printer did it... not him... he's in-noo-scent!!!! Full story...

Letter from Ohio elections officer seeks illegal contributions


- - - - - - - - - - - -




Jan. 8, 2005 | COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- The state's chief elections officer, accused of mishandling the presidential vote in Ohio, sent a fund-raising letter for his own 2006 gubernatorial campaign that was accompanied by a request for illegal contributions.

A pledge card with the letter from Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell, a Republican who co-chaired the Bush-Cheney election campaign in Ohio, said "corporate & personal checks are welcome."


Corporate donations are illegal in Ohio.

His spokesman, Carlo LoParo, said Saturday that any corporate donations would be returned.

Blackwell said the request sent to GOP donors and activists was an oversight. His campaign's fund-raising coordinator, Jeff Ledbetter, blamed a printer for the mistake, saying it used a template for an issue committee, which is allowed to accept corporate donations.

Ledbetter told The Columbus Dispatch that no corporate donations had been received in response to the letter.

Blackwell's letter also praises Republicans for helping deliver Ohio to President Bush.

U.S. Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., who prepared a report on election problems in Ohio, said the letter supports suspicions that Blackwell's actions as secretary of state during the election "stemmed from partisan political motivations" to help Bush.

Conyers said in a statement that the letter "evidences Secretary Blackwell's poor judgment at best, and the manipulation of election administration for partisan purposes, at worst."

A group of voters citing fraud has challenged Bush's 118,500-vote win in Ohio with the state Supreme Court, citing irregularities including long lines, a shortage of voting machines in minority precincts and problems with computer equipment.

Blackwell has maintained that he is permitted to campaign for Bush and that Ohio's election system has checks and balances to ensure fair elections.

"I have an obligation to follow the law," Blackwell said.

[Patsy Stone]

8. Yep, when you're right, you're right, mikelewis:

"Blackwell said the request sent to GOP donors and activists was an oversight. His campaign's fund-raising coordinator, Jeff Ledbetter, blamed a printer for the mistake, saying it used a template for an issue committee, which is allowed to accept corporate donations."

Simple error: we shouldn't have been caught doing it. It was innocent though, really. Really. Just a mistake -- heh.

Blah, Blah, Blah.

How nice of someone to write this article. It cheered me up after a long day. Thanks for posting.

Also, can't get enough of phrases like this: "The state's chief elections officer, accused of mishandling the presidential vote in Ohio..." OK, big, BIG smile. :)

2.46 w/259


WHAT ARE THEY HIDING?

[princehal]

3. I like that

it says "illegal contributions"

Not Alleged.

Blackwell is going down.

[mikelewis]

6. In what court system? Not Ohio's, he could chop the head off a baby on

live TV and walk away. My state sucks!!!!

[mdb]

4. Just one of those accidental mistakes Blackwell has made. n/t

[Melissa G]

9. Done!

[louis-t]

11. When repugs get caught, they use words like:

'oversight', 'mis-spoke', 'clerical error'....feel free to add more.
Lou

[dkofos]

10. But has the MOTHERFUCKER been arrested yet??

I didn't think so

[intheflow]

12. Holy moly!

I wonder what Swiss bank account those contributions will be funneled through. :wow:

[princehal]

15. And In Fla...

Florida Campaign Consultant Said Politicians Paid Him to Collect Absentee Votes
The Associated Press
Published: Jan 8, 2005


ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - A campaign consultant said he was hired by several Florida politicians over the past seven years to gather absentee ballots during their elections, a violation of state law.

Ezzie Thomas, who has been granted immunity, told prosecutors that he was paid numerous times since 1998 to gather absentee ballots, most recently by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer's campaign last year, his attorney said Friday.

Thomas told prosecutors four months ago that he was hired to do similar work for U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez when he ran for Orange County chairman in 1998, Florida Secretary of State Glenda Hood's 2000 campaign for Orlando mayor, and two other minor campaigns.

...snip...


http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBD8XKDQ3E.html