Labor unions allege fraud in right-to-work petition

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_8818688

A complaint filed with the secretary of state challenges the signature collections.
By Tim Hoover
The Denver Post
Article Last Updated: 04/06/2008 01:03:44 AM MDT

Labor unions filed a complaint with Secretary of State Mike Coffman's office on Friday accusing organizers of a right-to-work ballot initiative of fraud in collecting signatures.

The complaint, which included copies of audio recordings of purported exchanges with signature collectors, alleges that petition organizers in two instances told people they did not have to be registered to vote to sign the right-to-work petition.

In another exchange, a petition circulator reportedly told a person it was OK to sign the petition even though the person had already signed it somewhere else.

"These audio recordings offer evidence to what we believe is a significant pattern of fraud," said Jess Knox, a spokesman for Protect Colorado's Future, the coalition of unions and advocates for the poor that filed the complaint.

Rich Coolidge, a spokesman for Coffman, said the office would investigate the complaint and likely forward its findings to an administrative law judge. The judge could dismiss the complaint or impose fines of up to $500 and jail time of up to six months on organizers.

The judge also could throw out the petition and make the organizers start over.

FULL story at link.