Special prosecutor subpoenas election workers

[Algorem]

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1124703332226220.xml&coll=2

Monday, August 22, 2005
Angela D. Chatman
Plain Dealer Reporter

A special prosecutor investigating charges of illegal conduct in election recount last December has subpoenaed employees of the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections...

Toledo lawyer Richard Kerger made the charges last December on behalf of Green Party candidate David Cobb and Libertarian Party candidate Michael Badnarik.

In a Dec. 31 letter to the board and Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Bill Mason, Kerger charged that the elections board staff broke the law because:...

Kerger asked the board to refer the matter to Mason's office. Mason appointed Baxter special prosecutor in the spring of this year to avoid a conflict of interest, since his office also represents the Board of Elections.

[marmar]

1. I love it...

The entire Ohio Republican Party needs to be marched off in chains to prison. As goes Ohio, so goes America!!! (Odd to hear someone from Michigan saying that, but in this case I hope it's true).

:nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity:

[electropop]

6. It's a miracle!

If OH special prosecutors are like US special prosecutors, once empowered, they always go wild, because nobody can fire them (though Fitz has a time limit). They know they can become famous by digging up interesting dirt, and in some cases, they go on for years because it's a good career with job security. That's why the limit on Fitz, but the time limit also moitivates him to get enough momentum going to get a shot at re-authorization. It's tough to stop 'em once they get started (for the downside, look at Starr's delving into every false rumor).

[quiet.american]

2. Great news: activation of the two words that are kryptonite to Repubs--

--Under oath.

[meganmonkey]

7. 'Aaaah! It burns...it burns...'

:rofl:

[quiet.american]

12. :) n/t

[On the Road]

3. Wonderful -- The Ohio Recount was a Travesty

What I don't understand is that Cuyahoga County is heavily Democratic -- is the Board of Elections run by GOP moles for some reason? Or were they just being lazy?

[emcguffie]

5. Something to do with Blackwell.

I think he can fire them whenever he wants. So the Dems either are Repubs pretending to be Dems, or they are cooperating with the Repubs to keep their jobs.

[hootinholler]

4. !

[Norquist Nemesis]

8. Was this what the PlainDealer was holding?

A short time ago, there was some reports that they were holding back some stories. They (the paper) said the reports/stories had 'huge implications' (or words to that effect, IIRC).

If that's the case, I'm glad they finally got them out there. They've been on top of this all along.

[mtnester]

10. You know, some of it, unfortunately, is that the Toledo Blade

scooped the CRAP out of the Plain Dealer on the Noe case....

there may be some egg on face now, and the Plain Dealer may have decided election fraud is their redemption.

Wish it worked some other way, like the press wanting to get the truth even if it hurts their board members.

[Norquist Nemesis]

11. Now that you mention it

I may be confusing the Blade with the PD. Don't have time at the moment to reserach it, but one of them made statements recently that they were holding back on some articles...worried about consequences if they were published.

[meganmonkey]

9. Oooooooh yeah!

Can't wait to see this play out. I've been guessing that, considering how many 'irregularities' (wink-wink) there were with the election and recount in Ohio, at least ONE of them will blow up. Maybe this is it! (oh please oh please!!)

:popcorn:

[MelissaB]

13. Send some of that down to Alabama.

I'm hoping this will be good. :popcorn:

[DeepModem Mom]

14. Guys, it's a big day -- this, and the 36% approval, and some mysterious...

something about "Able Danger" posted here in LBN from UPI. If not a big day, at least a very interesting day. How I'd love to see this cabal Watergated -- if only the press would cut loose and do their jobs!

[bleever]

15. Paging Mr. Kenneth "Best Election Ever" Blackwell: are you ready

for your close-up?

The criminally bogus recount depended on their ability to keep anyone from actually seeing how they did it, contrary to law.

Hope that Kathy B. hasn't bought new drapes for the governor's mansion yet.

[vanboggie]

16. Awesome!!!!!!!!!

Please please let the election fraud be broadcast across the land. It's the only chance we have to stop these bastards.

On edit: Oops, I'm dreaming again.

[myrna minx]

17. I gotta kick this one.

:kick:

[Moosepoop]

18. yessss!!!

From the link in the OP:

<snip>
In a Dec. 31 letter to the board and Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Bill Mason, Kerger charged that the elections board staff broke the law because:

It failed to randomly select the 36 precincts used to represent at least 3 percent of the total vote for the December recount.

It conducted "test-run" recounts without witnesses.

It did not allow witnesses to observe irregularities in the review of cases where the presiding judge transported ballot assemblies, ballots and other items.

It repeatedly fed trays of ballots back through the counting machines without keeping records of the counts.

It failed to investigate discrepancies between the certified recount vote totals and the certified original totals.

*******

I hope I didn't break the "four paragraph" rule -- I'm counting the list of infractions as one paragraph, which it would have been if bulleting had been used. :yoiks: