Election Reform, Fraud, & Related News Friday, 4/4/2008

[Mnemosyne]

All members welcome and encouraged to participate.







Please post Election Reform, Fraud, & Related News on this thread.



If you can:

1. Post stories and announcements you find on the web.





2. Post stories using the new Spring 2006 Edition of "Election Fraud and Reform News Directory" listed here:



http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x407240



3. Re-post stories and announcements you find on DU, providing a link to the original thread with thanks to the Original Poster, too.





4. Start a discussion thread by re-posting a story you see on this thread.








Please Feel Free to "Recommend" for the Greatest Page (it's the link just below). Thanks!




:hi:

[Mnemosyne]

1. National. n't

[Mnemosyne]

2. FEC Nomination Impasse Stalls Disclosure of Bundling Data

FEC Nomination Impasse Stalls Disclosure of Bundling Data
Agency Cannot Set New Rules for Fundraising by Lobbyists

By Paul Kane
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, April 4, 2008; Page A21

The stalemate over the Federal Election Commission's nominating process, which already has crippled the agency's ability to uphold existing campaign laws, is indefinitely delaying the implementation of a new rule designed to shine more light on fundraising by lobbyists for members of Congress and presidential candidates.

Under last year's ethics and lobbying law revisions, campaign and political action committees affiliated with lawmakers should have completed their first quarter of tracking and identifying the lobbyists who raised large amounts of money by "bundling" smaller contributions.

But the new disclosure requirement cannot take effect without publication of final rules by the FEC, whose work ground to a halt late last year in a congressional showdown over the six-member commission's makeup.

Currently there are two commissioners and four vacancies, leaving the FEC unable to function because it does not have the four members required for a quorum. No one is sure when a resolution of the dispute will allow the disclosure rule to take effect.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/03/AR2008040304314.html

[Mnemosyne]

3. States. n/t

[Mnemosyne]

4. GA: Political confusion: Removal letter confuses law-abiding voters

Political confusion: Removal letter confuses law-abiding voters
700 letters were sent to residents stating they were felons

BY ALAN RIQUELMY - [e-mail] --

Hundreds of letters telling people they are convicted felons and can no longer vote were received by Columbus residents last week -- letters that many people say aren't correct.

The calls started coming in around Friday, city officials said. Muscogee County Superior Clerk of Court Linda Pierce has received about 20 calls. Nancy Boren, executive director of the county's elections and registrations office, has gotten around 100 queries about the letter that begins, "This office has been notified by the Clerk of Superior Court that you have been convicted of a felony. State law requires that our office remove you from the registered voters' list..."

Boren sent out around 700 letters provided by the Georgia Secretary of State's Office, though, as of Wednesday, only some 550 had reached their intended destination. One of those recipients, a woman more than 80 years old, called Pierce's office concerned when she opened her mail.

"The ones calling here have not been felons," Pierce said. "I don't think she's even had a traffic ticket."

http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/story/287183.html

[Mnemosyne]

5. Judge: Iowa voting forms violate official English law

Judge: Iowa voting forms violate official English law

By WILLIAM PETROSKI and NIGEL DUARA • REGISTER STAFF WRITERS • April 3, 2008

A Polk County District Court judge has ordered Iowa Secretary of State Michael Mauro to stop using languages other than English in the state’s official voter registration forms.

Judge Douglas Staskal ruled in favor of U.S. Rep. Steve King, an Iowa Republican, who sued state officials last year, contending they were violating the state’s English-language law. He brought the suit against Gov. Chet Culver, who previously served as secretary of state, and Mauro, contending they had placed illegal voting forms on the secretary of state’s Web site.
Advertisement

The dispute began shortly before Election Day in 2006, when King demanded that Culver remove voting information in languages other than English from the Web site. The site offered information in Spanish, Laotian, Bosnian and Vietnamese.

Non-English voter forms were removed from the the state's Web site late Thursday afternoon.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080403/NEWS/80403032/-1/galleries

[Mnemosyne]

6. Missouri: Guilty Pleas in Election Fraud

Missouri: Guilty Pleas in Election Fraud

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: April 3, 2008

Federal prosecutors in St. Louis say eight workers for a get-out-the-vote effort in the city and the county have pleaded guilty to federal election fraud for submitting false registration cards for the 2006 election. A United States attorney, Catherine Hanaway, said that eight former temporary workers for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now admitted submitting cards with false addresses and names and forged signatures. Acorn has said the workers most likely turned in the false applications to try to increase their wages.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/03/us/03brfs-GUILTYPLEASI_BRF.html

[Mnemosyne]

7. OH: Liason for secretary of state explains efforts to improve election process

Liason for secretary of state explains efforts to improve election process

By Kevin Risner, [e-mail]
POSTED: April 4, 2008

The League of Women Voters of the Tiffin Area hosted an educational town hall meeting at Heidelberg College Thursday.

“The eyes of the world will be on Ohio during the 2008 presidential balloting,” speaker Alice Teynor said. “Ohio’s election systems must be reliable and accurate.”

Teynor is the North Central Regional Liaison for Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner. Teynor is a native of Tiffin. She graduated from Calvert High School before attending Stautzenberger Business College in Toledo. Teynor works to promote stronger working relationships between the public and the Secretary of State’s office.

Teynor discussed historic changes in Ohio election law and explained ways Ohio has been working to be a leader in election reliability and accountability.

http://www.advertiser-tribune.com/page/content.detail/id/504967.html

[Mnemosyne]

8. PA: Election systems in Pa. don't get vote of confidence

Election systems in Pa. don't get vote of confidence

By Brad Bumsted
STATE CAPITOL REPORTER
Friday, April 4, 2008

HARRISBURG -- The chairwoman of the House State Government Committee said she is concerned that Pennsylvania's local election systems could face serious problems on April 22 in the face of huge voter registrations and a possible record turnout.

"I do not have 100 percent confidence," Rep. Babette Josephs, D-Philadelphia, said Thursday. Her chief concern is whether up to 170,000 new voters, most of them Democrats, would be allowed to vote if they show up without ID or report to the wrong polling place.

She's worried about availability of provisional ballots, voting machines working and whether results will be counted properly in Republican-controlled counties with Democratic-majority cities.

Asked if she gained any confidence as a result of a hearing before her committee yesterday, Josephs said "some."

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/election/s_560581.html

[Mnemosyne]

10. TX: Jim Wells Co. voter fraud cause begins

Jim Wells Co. voter fraud cause begins
Jim Wells County Commissioner tries to prove there were errors in the March primary

By Jaime Powell (Contact)
Originally published 11:05 a.m., April 4, 2008
Updated 11:37 a.m., April 4, 2008

ALICE — Jim Wells County Commissioner Wally Alanis, 59, is in District Court Friday morning with his attorney trying to prove that errors in the March primary denied him re-election.

Alanis, a 14-year incumbent who represents Orange Grove, Sandia and a portion of Alice, lost by two votes to J.C. Perez, an Alice Independent School District employee.

Alanis' defense is putting at least five witnesses on the stand who said that they planned to vote for him and were either denied the right to vote or moved to an incorrect commissioner precinct, which kept them from voting for him.

If visiting Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos rules that there were errors in the election, she can overturn the results and order a new election.

http://www.caller.com/news/2008/apr/04/jim-wells-co-voter-fraud-cause-begins/?partner=yahoo_headlines

[Mnemosyne]

11. VT: Judge Throws Out Democrats' Election Lawsuit

Judge Throws Out Democrats' Election Lawsuit

Jean O'Sullivan
Paul Decelles
Burlington, Vermont - April 2, 2008

An allegation of vote-tampering in the Burlington city election last month went to court Wednesday afternoon. A former city councilor who claims election fraud is asking for a new election.

The Democrats sued in hopes of getting the judge to order a new election in Ward Seven in Burlington's New North End. The winner was incumbent Republican Paul Decelles, who hung onto a fifteen-vote margin in a recount. Former city councilor Jean O'Sullivan claimed the city's chief administrative officer, Jonathan Leopold -- himself a Progressive -- wanted to block the Democrats from winning a majority on the city council.

The suit alleged that there was fraud when Leopold's assistant, Ben Pacy, illegally broke the seal on the ballot box and tampered with the ballots. Pacy denied it on the witness stand. Politics were intertwined with this case -- because of all the political connections. Even O'Sullivan's lawyer, Jake Perkinson, is the city Democratic chairman. But he said the suit was justified -- because election law was violated.

City Republican chairman Kurt Wright went to bat for Leopold and the Progressive administration. He told Channel 3 that Perkinson's agenda was political. "He's the current city Democratic chair," Wright said. "And in fact a Democratic city councilor told myself and councilor DeCelles, he said, 'Guys don't worry, this is not about you or the Republicans. It's our desire to go after Jonathan Leopold and the administration.'"

http://www.wcax.com/global/story.asp?s=8109222

[Kurovski]

9. K&R!

Thanks! :hi:

[Mnemosyne]

19. Thank you, Kurovski!

:hi:

[Mnemosyne]

12. The Youth Vote. n/t

[Mnemosyne]

13. Will Dem nominee affect youth vote?

Will Dem nominee affect youth vote?

By BEN ADLER | 4/3/08 8:08 AM EST

High-profile surrogates have emphasized Barack Obama's ability to inspire youth as a primary reason they support him.

In her op-ed endorsing Obama in The New York Times, Caroline Kennedy wrote of his "special gift for inspiring young people to become engaged in the political process."

And the media has generally treated that as a given. The Washington Post on March 30 ran a column in which editorial page staffer Catherine Rampell claimed this year's youth turnout increase is entirely attributable to Obama, writing, "where Rock the Vote has gone wrong, Barack Obama has gone very, very right."

And Obama certainly has dominated the youth vote in the Democratic primaries, winning it in all but three states.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0408/9365.html

[Mnemosyne]

14. OPED/BLOGS/LTTE. n/t

[Mnemosyne]

15. BradBlog: Papantonio and Bender on the Hart InterCivic Fraud Suit

BLOGGED BY Brad Friedman ON 4/4/2008 10:43AM

Papantonio and Bender on the Hart InterCivic Fraud Suit
Along With Some Very Kind Words About The BRAD BLOG...

Sitting in this week for Robert F. Kennedy Jr, David Bender joins Ring of Fire co-host/attorney Mike Papantonio to discuss, in the first five minutes of the show, the finally-unsealed qui tam fraud suit brought by Pap and RFK Jr's law firms against voting machine company Hart InterCivic, on behalf of former employee/computer technician turned whistleblower William Singer.

In the following clip, which will air this weekend on Air America's Ring of Fire program, both Bender and Pap offer exceedingly kind words for The BRAD BLOG and yours truly. (Thank you kindly, gents.)

We had originally broken Singer's remarkable story back in 2006. Our conversations shortly thereafter with Kennedy, and then with Papantonio's lawfirm, led to the filing of the suit, alleging a host of improprieties and criminally fraudulent behavior by the voting machine company as they dummied up voting machines during sales presentations, and concealed known failures, such as the possibilities of lost and miscounted votes, in their systems.

Pap also notes, during discussion of the case, that the nearly-two years it had to stay sealed by law --- while the DoJ ate up time in deciding whether or not to join the case --- is unusual in and of itself. Normally, in such qui tam cases, the DoJ is given just 60 days to decide whether or not to join with the whistleblower on behalf of the United States. Pap also goes on to note what may, or may not, be a coincidence: the US Attorney in CO, where the suit was filed, was removed shortly after this case was brought in his district, but before the decision was ultimately made by the DoJ to not join the suit...For now...

http://www.bradblog.com/?p=5867

[Mnemosyne]

16. Foreign. n/t

[Mnemosyne]

17. Italy: Laura Garavini slams Giornale vote fraud claims

Laura Garavini slams Giornale vote fraud claims

Posted : Wed, 02 Apr 2008 17:29:07 GMT
Author : DPA

Berlin - Laura Garavini, a German-based candidate in the upcoming Italian election, attacked newspaper allegations that votes were for sale in Germany, saying Wednesday the claims served the interests of the right-of-centre camp. Garavini, 41, is running for office on the Democratic Party (PD) slate as the number-two PD candidate in the "Europe" constituency. She hopes to become the first Italian from abroad to win election to the parliament in Rome.

She spoke after the newspaper Il Giornale reported it had managed to buy six valid ballot papers for the April 13-14 poll at an Italian restaurant in the German city of Cologne for 50 euros apiece.

Garavini said she believed opposition leader Silvio Berlusconi was promoting the allegations to cast discredit on the right of 2.5 million Italian citizens living abroad to vote.

She charged that he aimed to abolish that right after Italians abroad voted against him two years ago, tipping the balance and ending his premiership. She added that Il Giornale was in the ownership of media mogul Berlusconi's family.

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/196282,laura-garavini-slams-giornale-vote-fraud-claims.html

[Mnemosyne]

18. Mugabe ready for runoff, says minister

Mugabe ready for runoff, says minister

* Mark Tran and agencies
* guardian.co.uk,
* Thursday April 3 2008

Robert Mugabe is ready for a runoff in Zimbabwe's presidential election, a government spokesman insisted today, quashing any opposition hopes that the veteran leader will concede defeat.

Amid signs that Zimbabwe's political crisis was about to enter a new phase, officials from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission hinted that the long-delayed presidential results will be announced tomorrow.

The politburo of the ruling Zanu-PF party will also meet tomorrow to discuss the elections, a party spokesman said.

"All I can confirm is there is a politburo meeting. That's enough, that's all I can say at the moment," said Didymus Mutasa.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/apr/03/zimbabwe1?gusrc=rss&feed=networkfront

[Mnemosyne]

20. Sorry folks, got to go!

See you later possibly. :hi:

[Melissa G]

21. Off to Greatest! Thanks, vickiss! n/t