BBV - Ex-Officials Now Behind New Voting Machines - LATimes

[Cassandra]

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-revolving10nov10,1,7149331.story?coll=la-home-leftrail

" As secretary of state in 2001, Bill Jones moved to rid California of the type of antiquated voting machines that helped throw the presidential election into turmoil in Florida. Then last year he sponsored a successful $200-million industry-backed bond measure that gave counties money to buy high-tech replacements.

Now, the former elections chief is a paid consultant to one of the major voting machine firms vying for that business.
<snip>
There is no prohibition against former officials working for election machine companies, unless they lobby their old agency within a year of leaving. And elections officials and vendors defend their close relationships, saying that they improve election systems and benefit the public.

But Kim Alexander, president of the nonprofit California Voter Foundation, said, "The regulators and the regulated are so closely intertwined that the regulators go almost exclusively to for information and answers to questions.""

Hmmmmmm........

[Cronus Protagonist]

1. Sounds like a conflict of interest to me

Retroactively. What were his intentions from the start? If they were to do what he did, I say that's a conflict of interest.

Click Here To See Fair & Balanced Buttons, Stickers & Magnets

[dusty64]

12. Its only unethical

or illegal if committed by a Democrat unfortunately.

[althecat]

2. Someone just sent this to me... which voting machine manufacturer?

[Oilwellian]

3. Can you post what company Bill Jones lobbies for?

I hate registering to read an article. Thanks.

[althecat]

4. It's Sequoia.... & connections to ES&S involved too

Snip

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-revolving10nov10,1,3775006,print.story?coll=la-home-leftrail

"One of his former top aides has become a vice president for business development with the same company, Sequoia Voting Systems. Another former employee is working on Sequoia business strategies.

And the official who oversaw the certification of new voting machines under Jones has signed on as a competitor's California general manager."

AND..

"Before Jones left office, an assistant secretary, Alfie Charles, began setting his sights on his own next job.

Charles, who was Jones' spokesman, had worked on communications for the Proposition 41 drive, which was financed almost entirely with $100,000 from Sequoia and $50,000 from another vendor, Election Systems & Software. He had also sat on the panel that recommended to Jones which election machines could be sold in California.

In May 2002, Charles resigned from the panel to avoid potential conflicts. After talking to at least one other election company, he said, he was hired as a Sequoia vice president that August."

*********

It's a big story... meaty too...

[RedEagle]

5. How Many Ex-Officials become Employees of Voting Vendors?

This would be a good project.

Ralph Munro, former Washington Secretary of State went to VoteHere.

Took his State Elections Director, Gary McIntosh (I think the first name is Gary) with him.

How many can we come up with?

[althecat]

6. Good project.. unleash the mighty power of parallell browsing!!!

... apologies to Pat for stealing his line.

[lysergik]

7. Definetly!

So which companies do we have to look at?

VoteHere
Sequoia
Diebold
ES&S
??
??
??

[RedEagle]

8. Good Project

Browse Away!

Add:

Advanced Voting Solutions

Populex

and, again, VoteHere

(Also any names under former reincarnations)

[ParanoidPat]

9. Actually Al, I stole it from my brother in law.....

....who posts here on occasion under the name 'secret ego'.

The line is 'behold the power of massive parallel browsing!' :evilgrin:

Thanks K.D., you know who you are! :) :toast:

It'll be interesting to see just how many connections we can come up with. Please keep this thread kicked for a while. :)

[JohnGideon]

10. I Strongly Recommend That A DUer In CA File An Ethics Complaint

against all of the ex-government workers who are now working for voting machine companies. If the paperwork is anything like it is in Wa. state, it's pretty easy. You should be able to get the form on the SoS or Attorney General's website.

These guys have to follow the law even when they are no longer working for the state. Chances are they didn't do anything, or what they did do will be hard to prove; but it will stir things up a little. Also, file the papers then send copies to the LA Times and other newspapers in the state.

I'd do it myself, and have against our SoS, but I'm in Wa. state.

[ParanoidPat]

11. Hmmmm, you might be on to something!

I'll look into it tomorrow morning and let you know! Thanks. :evilgrin:

:kick:

[RedEagle]

13. keep It going

Kick!

[ParanoidPat]

18. Has anyone else here ever tried to find....

....ethics complaint forms on the California Secretary of State web site? :shrug:
What a joke! If you use the site search feature it seems they never heard the words 'ethics violations'. :evilfrown:

[ParanoidPat]

14. Input from Bev! (And a good reason to file an ethics complaint!)

From Bev Harris.....

Kathryn Ferguson, was the official in charge of Clark County Nevada
(stunningly, they bought Sequoia) and (after being accused, but not
convicted, of bid-rigging for Sequoia) went on to become Registrar at
Santa Clara County California where (again, stunningly) they decided to
buy Sequoia machines. By the time they bought them, she was (and is)
Vice President of Sequoia Voting Systems.

Sandra Mortham, who was Jeb Bush's running mate and then Florida
secretary of state before Katherine Harris. Went on to become lobbyist
for ES&S.

Thanks Bev! :evilgrin:

:kick:

[JohnGideon]

15. A Kick For Bev n/t

[RedEagle]

16. Important Info

Anyone in California care to file an ethics complaint? City, County, State? Check it out.

kick

[ParanoidPat]

17. I'm on it!

The first step is to determine if an ethics violation has indeed occurred under the existing California state or local laws.

If anyone else is interested in researching this, download the LOCAL GOVERNMENT ETHICS ORDINANCES IN CALIFORNIA PDF file here.

Raw link, http://www.library.ca.gov/CRB/98/02/98002.pdf

I'll have to research some dates but so far I can't find anything that would be an outright 'violation'. :evilfrown:

<snip>

The Postgovernment Employment Restrictions Act of 1990 (Sections 87406 and 87407 of the Government Code) restricts the activities of former state officials and designated employees for one year after leaving government employment. In general, they may not seek to influence legislative or administrative action for compensation. Former members of air pollution control districts and specified district employees are the only local officials subject to these state limitations (Section 87406.1). In addition, no state administrative official, elected state officer, or designated employee of the Legislature may use their official position to influence any governmental decision directly relating to a prospective employer.

<snip>

That last sentence might help but.... :shrug: ....define 'prospective employer'!

[JohnGideon]

19. ParanoidPat, The Last Sentence Does Spell It Out

Also, I would file anyway and make them justify why they haven't violated ethics. There may be something there that you don't know about. Someone in state government may be waiting for someone to file, you never know.

I don't know about Ca. but in Wa. I didn't have to state the specific law/rule that was violated; only substantiate what I thought was the violation. In my case it was a violation of conflict of interest due to our SoS taking a Sequoia Voting Machine around to High Schools to teach the kids how great the new technology was and how much fun it was to vote. Of course, no mention was made to paper ballots.

I followed his visits by mailing each school Civics/Government department a copy of a chapter of Bev's book and a cover letter.

[ParanoidPat]

20. Only applies to state officials, not local in CA.....

.....Kathryn Ferguson was a local county official as her post was the Registrar at Santa Clara County. The law does not apply. :evilfrown:
I've decided to talk to a friend who's a lawyer to see what avenues are available. In the mean time we should all try to get these connections into the press any way we can!

LTE's or OP/ED pieces perhaps? :evilgrin: People need to know this!

:kick:

[RedEagle]

21. Keep up there

Kick!

[dusty64]

22. Kick.

x

[MoonRiver]

23. Up, up and away!

:kick:

[ParanoidPat]

24. Any other 'players'?

We need to get the word out! :)

This issue of elections officials buying DRE's then leaving office and going to work for the voting machine manufacturers sure gets people imitating Jon Stewart ala his famous "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA???". :evilgrin:

:kick:

[JohnGideon]

25. CA. DUer's This Is Important. We Need You

Join with ParanoidPat and get the word out. File ethics charges against all of these people. They may not fly but it will open peoples eyes and they have to be investigated.

[JohnGideon]

26. Kick Again - Com'mon Folks n/t

[JohnGideon]

27. Kick - Don't Get Lost In The Debates n/t

[RedEagle]

28. If Not Ethics Complaints...

...then letters to the editors, complain to your city and county councils,then complain,in number and very loudly, to your legislators.

Advise the SOS office of all of these relationships.

[JohnGideon]

29. Kick For The Debate Watchers n/t

[leftchick]

30. kick

:kick: