grand jury indictments raise more questions

[Algorem]

"Scofflaws or Scapegoats? : Grand jury indicts two mid-level election board employees, raising more questions about the 2004 recount."

(Cleveland Free Times,9-7-2005)

http://www.freetimes.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=2581

By Teresa James

LAST SPRING, Republican Kathy Dreamer and Democrat Rosie Grier sat side by side as they showed a local voting reform activist how ballots are set up and formatted for elections. The process is complicated, and the two women grew more animated as they showed Victoria Lovegren, from Ohio Vigilance, each step of the procedure and each successive layer of safeguards against error.

Dreamer, the manager of ballots at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, and Grier, assistant manager, don't share political views. But the pride in their work that shone through when explained the process left no doubt that they took their jobs seriously.

That's why many find it so hard to understand why a grand jury indicted Dreamer and Grier last week for various alleged violations of election law during the county's 2004 recount.

Erie County Prosecutor Kevin Baxter convened the grand jury to investigate charges of recount violations raised by the Libertarian and Green Party presidential candidates. Baxter was appointed by Cuyahoga County Prosecutor William Mason to avoid a conflict of interest; Mason's office represents the board...



Robert T. Bennett
Ohio Republican Party chairman will not discuss the recount.



Michael Vu
Ballots were “pre-inspected